Natural History and Transformations . 81 



well as may be with these, the nascent locust employs 



whatever muscular force it possesses in drawing out the 



end of the abdomen, and its long hind legs (Fig. 12, c). 



This in a few more minutes is accomplished, and with gait 



as unsteady as that of a new-dropped colt, it turns round 



and clambers up the side of the shrunken, cast-off skin, 



and there rests while the wings expand and every part of 



the body hardens and gains strength — the crooked limbs 



straightening and the wings unfolding and expanding like 



the petals of some pale flower. The front wings are at 



first rolled longitudinally to a point, and as they expand 



and unroll, the hind wings, which are tucked and gathered 



along the veins, at first curl over them. In ten or fifteen 



minutes from the time of extrication these wings are fully 



expanded and hang down like dampened rags (Fig. 12, d). 



From this point on, the broad hind wings begin to fold up 



like fans beneath the narrower front ones, and [Fig. 13.] 



in another ten minutes they have assumed the 



normal attitude of rest. Meanwhile the pale 



colors which always belong to the insect while 



molting have been gradually giving way to the 



natural tints, and at this stage our new-fledged 



locust presents an aspect fresh and bright (Fig. 



13). If now we examine the cast-off skin we 



shall find every part entire, with the exception 



of the rupture which originally took place 



on the back ; and it would puzzle one who 



had not witnessed the operation to divine how 

 i */v 1 • 1 1 i /• i • Rocky Moul- 



trie now stm hind shanks 01 the mature insect tain looust:- 



The imago with 



had been extricated from the bent skeleton a11 P arts perfect, 

 left behind. They are in fact drawn over the bent 

 knee-joint, so that during the process they have been 

 bent double throughout their length. They were as 

 supple at the time as an oil-soaked string, and for some 



