96 TRUE TALES OF THE INSECTS. 



soil to that which is loose, and may be observed at its 

 excavations even on beaten paths. The time required 

 to accomplish this strenuous task will vary according to 

 the season and temperature. In the event of a frost 

 at night, and the insects not rousing from their chilled 

 inactivity till 9 a.m., the Rocky Mountain Locusts have 

 been observed to be scarcely able to make the hole and 

 complete the pod during the four or five warmer hours 

 of the day ; but with higher temperature not more than 

 about half that time would be needed. 



Their period of ovipositing extends over about sixty- 

 two days, the average number of egg-masses formed 

 being probably three or four, and the total number of 

 eggs deposited about a hundred. The French natural- 

 ists recently record a similar fact in Algeria, and have 

 ascertained that Sckistocerca peregrina, one of the migra- 

 tory locusts, may deposit eggs at more than one of the 

 spots on which it may alight during its migration. 



A careful study of the egg-mass, or egg-pod, of Calop- 

 tenus spretus and other locusts, will reveal a quadrilinear 

 arrangement of the eggs, not only so as to economize 

 space, but so as to best facilitate the escape of the young. 

 Clearly if, from whatever cause, the upper eggs should 

 hatch later than the lower, or should fail to hatch as is 

 not unfrequently the case the exit of the young would 

 be impeded were there no provision against such a pos- 

 sibility. Without touching upon the channel obtained, 



