Not being exposed to the asperities of the winter, they need no protection other than the thin egg-cases themselves.
Are these nice and reasonable precautions, which rival the experiment of Rumford, a fortuitous result ?--one of the innumerable combinations which fall from the urn of chance?
If so, let us not recoil before the absurd: let us allow that the blindness of chance is gifted with marvellous foresight.
The Praying Mantis commences her nest at the blunter extremity, and completes it at the pointed tail.

The latter is often prolonged in a sort of promontory, in which the insect expends the last drop of glutinous liquid as she stretches herself after her task.

A sitting of two hours, more or less, without interruption, is required for the total accomplishment of the work.

Directly the period of labour is over, the mother withdraws, indifferent henceforth to her completed task.

I have watched her, half expecting to see her return, to discover some tenderness for the cradle of her family.