tongue, usually bathed in saliva, is seen in the lower part of the mouth. Since the grasshopper has no lips, or any way of producing suction, it must lap the dew in drinking. Does it merely break off bits of a grass blade, or does it chew?
The heart, circulation, nervous system, digestive and respiratory organs of the grasshopper agree mainly with the general description of the organs of insects given in the next section.
Microscopic Objects.—These may be bought ready mounted, or may be examined fresh. A portion of the covering of the large eye may be cut off and the dark layer on the inside of the covering scraped off to make it transparent. What is the shape of the facets? Can you make any estimate of their number? A portion of the transparent hind wing may be used, and the "veins" in it studied. A thin bit of an abdominal segment containing a spiracle will show the structure of these important organs.
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Fig. 115.—Egg and Molts of a Grasshopper.
Growth of the Grasshopper.—Some species hibernate in sheltered places and lay eggs in the spring, but adult species are scarce at that season. Most species lay the eggs in the fall; these withstand the cold and hatch out in the spring. Those hatched from one set of eggs sometimes stay together for a few days. They eat voraciously, and as they grow, the soft skin becomes hardened by the deposit of horny substance called chitin. This prevents further growth until the insect molts, the skin first splitting above the prothorax. After hatching, there are five successive periods of growth. At which molt do the very short wings first appear? (Fig. 115.)
