70 



Iarv?e in possessing rudimentary 'ivings. In early -warm spring 

 (lays, or at the end of winter, the pupas of a species of a grey 

 colored grasshopper may be seen on dry pastvircs and causing 

 surprize at the seeming early return of that insect. 



Mr. R. described the singular modes practiced by some spe- 

 cies of insects in suspending themselves in their pupa-cases, 

 and of others in weaving a silken covering or cradle, called the 

 coccoon — a term more generally understood in reference to the 

 silk-worm moth, and to kindred species. The texture of these 

 coccoons is various — in some instances the separate fibres or 

 silk are so loosely and slightly glued as to be easily wound or 

 reeled oiF, as in the silkworm — while in others it is very dura- 

 bly cemented so as to present a very elastic but tough consist- 

 ence. We have familiar instances in examples furnished by 

 several of our splendid species of moths. But in the coccoons 

 of a beautiful little white species, which inhabits the loood wax 

 plant, the fibres are so loosely joined as to form meshes similar 

 to lace. When the stock of silk gives out before the coccoon is 

 finished, the prudent larva employs shreds of other substances 

 to eke out the necessary supply. A remarkable instance of 

 this kind is mentioned by Reaumur, who found the coccoon of 

 a kind of wasplike insect (sphex) thickened with the legs, 

 wings and other parts of immolated flies, which had served for 

 some former banquet. 



These coccoons are sometimes found buried in the earth, or 

 else hidden away in the chinks of the bark of trees, or attached 

 to the roots of aquatic plants, or suspended between leaves of 

 shrubs, or suspended in the air by flat silken bands. Some- 

 times, other materials entirely enter in their construction, such 

 as pieces of wood or bits of twigs fastened together by a gluten- 

 ous substance — or made wholly of earth and moulded very hard 

 and firm — or by agglutinated particles of sand — or lodged be- 

 neath the upper and under surfaces of a single leaf; or elabor- 

 ated out of masticated grains of wood and mixed up with a 

 glutinous fluid, which turns so hard as to resist very considera- 



