KATYDIDS AND THEIR KIN. 233 



the sprightly little insects, devoid of wings but other- 

 wise like their parents, are soon seen on every hand. 

 Born with one earthly desire a voracious appetite 

 and with one valuable possession a pair of strong, 



Fig. 59 Grasshopper in the act of laying eggs. (After Riley.^ 



broad jaws, which move in and out like the blades of 



a pair of scissors the little hopper soon begins to use 



the latter to appease the former, and 



Grrashomrers ^ or twen ty-f ur hours a day and seven 

 days in a week, he gnaws away at 

 the soft, green, succulent grass which .surrounds him 

 on every side. Such a procedure can have but one 

 result. His body soon becomes too big for its sur- 

 roundings. Something must give way and that some- 

 thing is his skin. He casts it aside with but little 

 reluctance, however, for a new one is ready to take its 

 place, and immediately begins to satiate his appetite 

 once more. Five successive times his skin gets too 

 small for his body and is cast aside. Between each 



