234 



GLEANINGS FROM NATURE. 



of these moults the wings are growing and when the 

 fifth skin is shed he emerges a mature and fully fledged 

 insect. 



While passing through 

 a Held on one September 

 day, I observed, clinging 

 to the stems of weeds, sev- 

 eral specimens of what 

 appeared to he the bodies 

 of grasshoppers with the 

 wings of the common sul- 

 phur-yellow butterfly at- 

 tached to them. Such a 

 combination aroused my 

 curiosity, hut a close ex- 

 amrtmtion proved them to 

 be specimens of the com- 

 mon black-winged grass- 

 hopper which had just 

 moulted for the last time 

 and spread out their soft 

 wings to dry. The inner 

 wings, instead of being 

 black, were light yellow, 

 but in three or four hours 

 thereafter had changed to 

 their usual color. The 



Fig. 60 Grasshopper shedding its sk'in. Cast off skills Were close 



(a, Young ready to change; l> and c, the by Rllfl WQTQ much Smaller 

 nkin splits along the back and the adult ? , T '1 



emerges; d, adult drying out; e, perfect in- tnail tlie lllSeCl. JLlKe 



crayfish they had shed the 

 entire outer skin in one piece, pulling out the legs 



