Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . sary to its particular mode of procedure, is madethe most of. With one of its fore-legs it loadsits depressed head with as much sand as it willhold, and then with a sudden jerk the littleheap is sent flying beyond the boundary of itsoperations. It mo\es all around the circuit olthe pit thus shovelling, and then takes a ciiclejust inside thc^ last, the newest one always beingmade (leei)er than the one outside it. One neednot follow every step of the j:)rocess, but tilti-mately the sand has onl\ to be hoisted from thecentre, for
Marvels of insect life ; a popular account of structure and habit . sary to its particular mode of procedure, is madethe most of. With one of its fore-legs it loadsits depressed head with as much sand as it willhold, and then with a sudden jerk the littleheap is sent flying beyond the boundary of itsoperations. It mo\es all around the circuit olthe pit thus shovelling, and then takes a ciiclejust inside thc^ last, the newest one always beingmade (leei)er than the one outside it. One neednot follow every step of the j:)rocess, but tilti-mately the sand has onl\ to be hoisted from thecentre, for as it is remoNed thence it falls downthe sides until the j)it assumes the sha])e ot aninverted cone with >teep, sloping sides. it willbe seen that with such a construction in drysand, any creej)ing thing that reaches the edgeand attempts to look owr will have the sandfall beneath its feet, and it will be unable tosave itself from going to the bottom. All thatcan be seen there is a pair of callipers sticking upwith their [joints apart. The ant-lion ha- buricil. Pholn by] [II. Main, .\poLLO Butterfly at Rest. Whrn at rest, and imbibing nectar from the flowei-s,the fore-wings are slipped between the hind-wingsto make the Insect less noticeable. In this stndyfrom life in Switzerlanil the butterfly has not quitesettled, as only one has been tuckid out ofsight. Natural size. no Marvels of Insect Life, ,. .. 5,«e--«i«^ ? -» mr—3r^ ^ iH^^ ..^*^^B ^^^9IHHPP^ sr„ P/!o/o by] The Ant-Lion. [H. Basiin. The ant-lion is the larval stage of a large, four-winged fly much like a dragon-fly. Its habit of making pitfalls in loose, dry earth has long been excavation is made by going backwards in circles and pushing the sandaside with its hind-body. In the photograph it is beginning the operation. source, on finrlinp: it^elf ^lippinc: doMn the fntnl s
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjecta, booksubjectinsects
