ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRASSHOPPERS 



They were very hungry and ate the grass and 

 other vegetation, clearing the ground in a very 

 short time of every living plant. 



In a few days they had eaten so much and 

 grown so fat that they were obliged to cast off 

 their old skins and enter upon their second 

 stage of growth. Their color was now of a 

 yellowish gray, mottled with black; and tiny 

 wing-pads began to grow. In a short time Ella 

 and her teacher noticed these queer little insects 

 had again grown out of the fit and color of their 

 dress and were changing it once more, this time 

 for a mottled green, with the wing-pads consid- 

 erably larger. Twice after this they were seen 

 casting off the old dress for a new one; the 

 color remained about the same, but each time 

 the wing-pads were larger and more prominent. 

 Now the insects were full grown and became 

 very restless and discontented, for underneath 

 the wing-pads were folded away their power to 

 travel over the plains to new fields and scenes. 

 In a short time the desire grew so strong that 

 they ceased to eat and crawled up the side of 

 posts, heavy grass, weed-stalks, or, in fact, any 

 firm object. The one which Ella and her 

 [59] 



