308 ORTHOPTERA 



more restricted area, and that it is represented in the New World 

 by two peculiar North American genera, Haldmanella and Brachy- 

 stola. B. magna is an Insect nearly equal in size to Methone 

 anderssoni. Its peculiar form and movements have procured for it 

 in Texas and Colorado the popular names of " buffalo hopper " 

 and " lubber grasshopper." This Insect has not like Methone 

 the colours of the desert sands ; it is of a green tint, with com- 

 paratively smooth body, and during the day rests concealed 

 under tufts of grass. It has apparently no sound organs, though 

 de Saussure thinks there are structures present that are vestiges 

 or rudiments thereof. 



The family Acridiidae includes a large part of the species that 

 make up our meagre list of British Orthoptera. Indeed, the 

 only native Orthoptera at the present time sufficiently common 

 to attract general attention are, in addition to the earwig, the 

 species of the genera Stenobothrus and Gomphocerus, whose 

 musical instruments we have described previously. We have 

 eight species of these Insects. They are the little grasshoppers, 

 so common in our fields and gardens, the hunting of which is 

 a source of much amusement to children. The Insect goes off 

 with a sudden and long hop just as it is going to be seized, and 

 this is appreciated by the child as very clever. The hunt, as a 

 rule, does not result in much damage to the grasshoppers, the 

 ingenious escape being the greater part of the pleasure. These 

 Stenobothri are remarkable for their variation in colour, and it 

 is thought by some that they frequent spots where they find 

 themselves a match with their surroundings. There is, how- 

 ever, little or no information of importance on this point extant. 

 Mecostethus grossus (Fig. 173), though larger, is very like the 

 common field grasshoppers, but appears to have become rare 

 since the fens were drained. The two curious little grasshoppers 

 of the genus Tettix (Fig. 179) are not uncommon. In addition 

 to these Acridiidae, three species of migratory locusts are occa- 

 sionally met with in Britain, viz. Pachytylus cinerascens (Fig. 

 177), P. migratorius, and Schistocerca peregrina (Fig. 84); this 

 latter we have already alluded to as being probably the locust 

 mentioned in the book of Exodus. 



Acridiidae have never been found in amber, owing possibly to 

 their large size and strength. There are but few fossil forms known, 

 and these do not extend farther back in time than the Mesozoic 



