56 TRUE TALES OF THE INSECTS. 



the full-grown insect, we know, the three parts of the 

 thorax, each of which carries one pair of legs, are of very 

 unequal length, the first pair of legs being borne by the 

 wonderfully short prothorax, as compared with which the 

 meso- and meta-thorax are remarkably elongated. But 

 in the egg this great difference of length of the three 

 divisions does not exist, so that the legs are not very 

 far apart, and pack away closely. But the instant the 

 creature has fairly escaped from its prison-house, the 

 egg, the usual difference in the length of the several 

 thoracic segments is attained ; much expansion of the 

 body comes about during the withdrawal out of the egg, 

 so that it is hard to understand how it was contained 

 therein ; it looks, indeed, like a juggler's trick. 



. Of the subsequent development of the insects, prac- 

 tically we know very little. But the observations made 

 indicate great differences in the length of time occupied 

 by it, and in the number of moults. Some species are 

 stated to moult many times ; Diapheromera femorata is 

 said to reach the perfect stage in six weeks, and to moult 

 only twice ; while according to Murray, who had some 

 specimens under his observation during the whole course 

 of their development, Phyllium takes no less than fifteen 

 or sixteen months to complete its growth, and during that 

 period undergoes only three moults, the first of which 

 does not happen until the tenth month after hatching ; 

 it is interesting to learn that the first moult observed 



