i88 NATURE-STUDY 



the first abdominal segment. Here will be seen a shallow 

 pit covered with an oval membrane. This curiously located 

 organ is believed to be the ear. 



In general, this description of the grasshopper is typical 

 of all insects. As a class they have bodies divided into three 

 sections, with abdomens distinctly segmented ; they have three 

 pairs of jointed legs, two pairs of net-veined wings, jointed 

 feelers, compound eyes, complicated mouth-parts, breathing 

 pores, respiration carried on in a system of tubes that spread 

 throughout the body, and the chitinous coat acting as an 

 external skeleton. It is true that in one respect or other 

 many insects do not conform to this description. Some have 

 no wings, some have lost one pair only, some have only rudi- 

 ments of legs, etc. The immature forms of insects also 

 often differ widely from this description. 



Insects are hatched from eggs. The mother grasshopper 

 lays her eggs in a mass in a barrow. The young are largely 

 head, but the resemblance to the parents is unmistakable. 

 The young grasshopper looks like a grasshopper from the 

 beginning, even though it has no wings. There is no great 

 transformation in passing through the different stages to 

 maturity, and the adult period is reached when the wings 

 are put on. 



As the insect grows, its leathery coat becomes too small. 

 It is then cast aside or moulted. This shedding of the skin 

 occurs a number of times before the insect is full grown. 

 Then, after the wings appear, no more moulting takes place. 

 In moulting, a rent occurs in the cuticle, and the insect slips 

 or wriggles out of the old coat. When first divested thus, the 

 grasshopper has a pale, soft, moist skin. At this period the 

 insect is especially vulnerable. Hence it generally performs 



