The Cicada, when laying, always carries her head upwards, an attitude which, for that matter, she adopts in other circumstances. She lets you examine her quite closely, even under the magnifying-glass, so greatly absorbed is she in her task. The ovipositor, which is about two-fifths of an inch long, is buried in the stalk, slantwise. So perfect is the tool that the boring does not seem to call for very laborious operations. I see the mother give a jerk or two and dilate and contract the tip of her abdomen with frequent palpitations. That is all. The drill with its double gimlets working alternately digs and disappears into the wood, with a gentle and almost imperceptible movement. Nothing particular happens during the laying. The insect is motionless. Ten minutes or so elapse between the first bite of the tool and the complete filling of the cell. The ovipositor is then withdrawn with deliberate slowness, so as not to warp it. The boring-hole closes of itself, as the ligneous fibres come together again, and the insect climbs a little higher, about as far as the length of its instrument, in a straight line. Here we see a new punch of the gimlet and a new chamber receiving its half-a-score of eggs. In this fashion the laying works its way up from bottom to top. Once we know these facts, we are in a position to understand the remarkable arrangement controlling the work. The punctures, the entrances to the cells, are almost equidistant, because each time the Cicada ascends about the same height, roughly the length of her ovipositor. Very rapid in flight, she is a very lazy walker. All that you ever see her do on the live branch on which she drinks is to move to a sunnier spot close by, with a grave and almost solemn step. On the dead branch where the eggs are laid she retains her leisurely habits, even exaggerating them, in view of the importance of the operation. She moves as little as need be, shifting her place only just enough to avoid letting two adjoining cells encroach upon each other. The measure of the upward movement is provided approximately by the length of the bore. Also the holes are arranged in a straight line when their number is not great. Why indeed should the laying mother veer to the left or right on a stalk which has the same qualities all over? Loving the sun, she has selected the side of the stalk that is most exposed to it. So long as she feels on her back a douche of heat, her supreme joy, she will take good care not to leave the situation which she considers so delightful for another upon which the sun’s rays do not fall so directly.