658 FAMILY VIII. GRYLLIDJE. THE CRICKETS. 



mysteriously, and one wonders which way they have gone, it be- 

 iLg seldom that their departure can be accurately followed by 

 the eye." 



In addition to T. tcrminalis, the following species of Triilacti/- 

 lus described from the United States are now considered synonyms 

 <,f T. <ipk-uHs: T. tibiulis Guer. (1844, 336), inlrtns Hald. 

 (1853, 364), illinoieiisis Thomas (1863, 104), fissipcs Sauss. 

 (1874, 352) and inccrtus Sauss. (1897, 418.) 



II. ELLIPES Scudder, 1002, 300. (Gr., "omitted" -f "foot."') 



The principal distinguishing characters of this genus are given 

 in the key. They have the pronoturn short, not constricted near 

 apex; fore tibiae of males simple like those of females, never cleft; 

 hind tibiae with margine of upper basal half smooth, armed at tip 

 on each side with two very unequal calcaria, the longest half the 

 length of the tibia. But one species is known. 

 314. ELLIPES MINUTA (Scudder), 1862, 425. Smaller Sand Cricket. 



Blackish or fuscous-brown; head and pronotum mottled with paler, 

 the lower margins of latter broadly pale; all the femora and middle tibiae 

 with pale cross-bars; hind tibiae dusky. Tegmina short, covering less than 

 half the abdomen; wings variable, sometimes twice as long, usually slightly 

 surpassing the abdomen. Length of body, 4 5; of pronotum, 1.5 2; of 

 hind femora, 3 3.5 mm. 



This small sand cricket occurs throughout Indiana, frequent- 

 ing damp sandy places which are sparsely covered Avith grass or 

 other vegetation, where it is often found in company with the 

 grouse locusts or with the larger sand cricket, Tri dactyl us apical is 

 Say. While more active in its movements it does not leap as high 

 nor as far as that species. The best way to capture them, after 

 discovering a colony, is to use a sweep net rapidly just above the 

 ground- The pair of minute subapical swimming plates of hind 

 tibiae are sometimes wanting, and rarely there are two on the outer 

 margin. The long apical so-called "calcaria" are finely fringed 

 above. They are not, therefore, spurs in the true sense and are 

 doubtless used as swimming organs. 



In Florida this is also a common insect and has been taken by 

 me at all collecting stations except Cape Sable and Key West. 

 There, as elsewhere, it is more abundant about ponds and lakes 

 than along the flowing streams, and has been recorded by other 

 collectors from numerous localities on the mainland, but not as 

 yet from the southern keys. 



The known range of E. mint/to is a wide one, extending from 

 Ocean City, N. J. and Stafford County, Va., west to Minnesota 



