,1 QA-

but the twigs in the empty phial being withered, the eggs perilhed; yet I have obferved that on twigs accidentally broken off in "the woods, if they lie near the ground in the fhade f0 as to be kept moill, the eggs in them will hatch in their due time; but in thofe that are expofed to the fun, they (urely die. '

i The young loculls that were hatched in the twigs in the phial, ran down the twigs to the water, on which they floated about foui- and twenty hours, and then died; Ithofe that were hatched in the twigs in the pot of earth, ran down the twigs immediately to the earth, and‘ entered it at the firlt opening they could find, which they fearched for eagerly, as if already fenfible of danger, by being expofed to the light of the fun. '

' I have obferved that in the na- tural way the eggs are ufually hatched in fix weeks; but if, by the luxuriance of the growth of the fhoots into which the eggs" are darted, the rind of the treeclofes and confines them, they‘ will in that fituation l remain feveral months, till by fome lucky acci- dent they ar_e difengaged, and then they will hatch in a few mi- nutes after, and feek their retreat in theearth, in the fame manner as thofe hatched in the ufual time. But many periih by being thus im- prifoned. i ' " ' Viewed through a microfcope the moment they are hatched, they appear in every refpeet as perfect as at the time of their lafi tranf- formation, when they rife out of the earth‘, put off their fcaly co- vering, expand their wings, dif- play ‘their gaudy colours, dart

ANNUAL REGISTER, 1767,

forth their eggs, and after a few days exifience, to fulfil the wife purpofes of their maker, clofe the period of their lives by an eafy death. How altonifhing therefore and infcrutable is the defign of providence in the production of this infect, that is brought into life, according to our apprehen- fion, only to fink into the depths of the earth, there to remain in darknefs,‘ till the appointed time comes when it afcends again into light by a wonderful refurreétionl The means by which they are ena- bled to continue their fpecies, is no lefs lingular than their manner of exiflence. The females are furnilhed with I a bearded dart, with which they pierce the tender lhoots of all trees they happen to light upon, without regard to litu- ation or fpecies; many therefore iperifh by the quick growth of the trees in which the eggs are darted; and more perhaps by being laid in twigs that hang over ftreams or {landing waters. The dart by which the operation is performed, conlilts of three parts; a middle, and two fides; the middle is hollow, through which the eggs are darted, and the two {ides ferve for a covering to defend it. Thefe may ealily be taken apart, by flipping the middle through the grooves of the two fides, and it is by flipping the two outfide parts by each other rapidly, that they work a kind of llant hole -in the {oft twig they make choice of, till they reach the pith, and then they eje€t their eggs into it to the number of twelve; when this is performed, they begin another hole clofe by the fide of the former, and Io continue to work till they have carried along two rows, each royv ' ‘ ~ con=