Chapter II.—Structure and contents of the Egg.—Its Shape—Remarkable mistake about an Insect—The Lace-wing Fly—Eggs carved on their surface—Colours of Eggs—Changes of Colour—Eggs of the Garden Spider—Pretty Nests—Anatomy of the Egg—Contents of the Egg
Chapter III.—Life begins in the Egg.—Spring Time—Influence of Heat and Cold—Eggs resist great Cold—The time of Hatching—Escape of the new Creature—Connexion between Plants and Insects—Changes in the Egg—A Spider's Mother's love—Experiment with two Spiders—Anecdote of an Earwig—Enormous number of Eggs of different Insects
PART II.—THE LARVA.
Chapter I.—The Young Larva.—Affection of a Field-Bug—An Earwig Mother—Anecdote of a Spider—Ant-Nurses—Varieties of Larvæ—The Larva born—Forms of Larvæ—Larvæ of Butterflies—Structure of a Larva
Chapter II.—Habits of the Larva.—The Lion of the Aphides—its Courage—The Ant-Lion—The "Giant Grim" of Insects—Formation of its Trap—An Insect Excavator—The Den—A Stone in it—A captive Ant—Principle of Compensation—The Sand-Wasp's Den—A Warrior-Wasp—An Insect Duel—The Kakerlac and the Bandit Wasp—The Corpse carried home—A Wasp clad in the Wings and Limbs of Insects—The Tiger Beetle Larva—Dragon-Fly Larva—its curious Mask—a ferocious creature—Ravages of Cockchafer Larvæ—Lamp Oil got from Larvæ—"Old Father Long-legs"—The Gamma Moth and its Larva—Magical Origin of—The excessive numbers of the Larvæ—Destruction of Trees by Larvæ—Killed by rain—The Weevil—Insects on board Ship—Appetite of Larvæ—Silk-Worm Larva—Larvæ enormous Eaters—Growth of Larvæ