290 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
her with his teeth behind the neck, and thus keeps her for 
several hours. 
Towards the latter end of autumn, the female prepares to 
deposit her burden ; and her body is then seen greatly dis- 
tended with her eggs, which she carries to the number of a 
hundred and (ifty. in order to make a proper lodgment in 
the earth for them, Nature has furnished her with an instru- 
ment at her tail, somewhat resembling a two edged sword, 
which she can sheathe and unsheathe at pleasure ; with this 
she pierces the earth as deep as she is able ; and into the 
hole which her instrument has made, she deposits her eggs, 
one after the other. 
Having thus provided for the continuation of her pos- 
terity, the animal herself does not long survive ; but, as the 
winter approaches, she dries up, seems to feel the effects of 
age, and dies from a total decay. Some, however, assert, 
that she is killed by the cold ; and others, that she is eaten 
by worms : but certain it is, that neither the male nor 
female are ever seen to survive the winter. In the mean 
time, the eggs which have been deposited continue unalter- 
ed, either by the severity of the season, or the retardation of 
the spring. They are of an oval figure, white, and of the 
consistence of horn : their size nearly equals that of a grain 
of anise : they are enveloped in the body within a covering, 
branched all over with veins and arteries ; and when ex- 
cluded, they crack, on being pressed between the fingers: 
their substance within is a whitish, viscous, and transparent 
fluid. 
Generally, about the beginning of May, every egg pro- 
duces an insect, about the size of a flea ; these at first are 
of a whitish colour ; at the end of two or three days they 
turn black; and soon after they become of a reddish brown. 
They appear, from the beginning, like grasshoppers wanting 
wings; and hop among the grass, as soon as excluded, with 
great agility. 
Yet still they are by no means arrived at their state of full 
perfection ; although they bear a strong resemblance to the 
animal in its perfect form. They want, or seem to want, the 
wings, which they are at last seen to assume ; and can only 
hop among the grass, without being able to fly. The wings, 
however arc not wanting, but are concealed within four 
little bunches, that seem to deform the sides of the animal : 
there they lie rolled up in a most curious manner; and oc- 
cupying a smaller space than one could conceive. Indeed, 
all insects, whatever transmutations they seem to undergo, 
are yet brought forth with those very limbs, parts and wings, 
