INSECT INTRUDERS, 



The enlargement at the bottom of 

 the tunnel is where the insect spends 

 the day, two or three occupying it 

 together whilst young, but only a 

 male and female when the insects 

 have matured, i.e., when they have 

 acquired their wings. 



The young cricket starts life as a 

 little ' hopper ' not unlike the young 

 grass-hopper or locust ' hopper ' and you 

 will notice that he is then wingless. As 

 he grows in size, he sheds his skin at 

 intervals, his wings begin to appear and 

 increase in size at each moult till they 

 are finally full-sized and functional as 

 flying organs. During the whole of his 

 life the cricket lives in tunnels in the 

 earth in the manner above described, 

 issuing forth at night, or in the day time 

 in dull cloudy weather, and feeding on 

 young plants. The insects are most 

 wasteful feeders and will cut down num- 

 bers of young plants in the way we 

 found the white lupins cut down, eating 

 86 



