368 Next to the Ground 



pith with a pair of fine saws, specially pro- 

 vided. The egg-laying is done from mid- 

 summer forward, and after it is finished the 

 mother-locust dies. 



Young locusts are tiny creatures, but 

 worm-like and lively in wriggling. Safe in 

 earth they live through long years, feeding 

 first upon grass roots, and later when they 

 have strength to burrow deeper, sucking the 

 feeding rootlets of trees and shrubs. Several 

 times they cast the skin after the manner of 

 wriggling things. By and by they change 

 from worms to bugs — bugs with many legs, 

 very big horn-shielded eyes, and roughish, 

 horny coats. In this form they occasionally 

 venture above ground, but quickly run back 

 again. After a while comes another change. 

 This time it is to the nymph, whose vacant 

 horny shell scattered thickly all about is the 

 hall-mark and sign manual of a true locust year. 



As to how long a nymph remains a 

 nymph, the wise men say it depends — de- 

 pends upon breed, season, and environment. 

 A proper nymph possibly takes note of time 

 only from its loss^ — it is too fully occupied 

 with grubbing about, and sucking juice from 

 the roots for day or night dreams. But by 

 and by, when the time comes, it dreams to 

 good purpose. Then some fine night it 

 begins a furious tunnelling upward. And 



