468 FAMILY VII. TETTIGONIID.E. THE KATYDIDS. 



casionally, on a near approach to the bush upon which it rests, it will drop 

 suddenly a foot or two to a branch beneath. 



"Attention is chiefly directed to it by the loud stridulation of the 

 males at nightfall. During the day they are usually silent, or at rare 

 intervals produce a short sharp zip. After dark, however, they make the 

 swamp resound with their loud calls, and we then become aware of their 

 abundance. On close examination at such a time the males usually only 

 one on each bush may be seen walking very slowly over the leaves and 

 twigs. Occasionally they suddenly slightly lift and part the wing covers 

 and close them again, thereby producing a sharp zip or crick, this being 

 their usual day note. After making this sound at irregular intervals for 

 some time, the tegmina are opened to a greater extent, and are then again 

 closed, producing a long-drawn, exceedingly loud cr-r-r-r-r-ick, which is 

 repeated in couplets several times in succession. This challenging cry is 

 immediately answered by one after another of its neighboring fellows, un- 

 til numbers are rasping out their ear-piercing notes, as notable a rural 

 chorus as that of the tree toads." 



Walker (1904a, 327) states that pistilhita is much more abun- 

 dant in northern than in southern Ontario, being "common on 

 bushes, tall herbs and grass on the borders of low woods and along 

 fence rows." Hebard says that at Pequaming, Mich.: "I heard 

 the first katydid about August 12, and as ]>istni<tta is the only 

 large Locustid found in this region, I knew what species was 

 producing the sound. Before this date there was no insect which 

 made a loud noise at night. Now in the evenings 'zikk-zikk-zikk- 

 zikk'- '.://i7,- -.://,/,-, zikk, zikk' could often be heard. A week later 

 they were plentiful and in the meadows and pastures their day- 

 time note of 'ziltk' was to be heard on all sides. Having found 

 that they preferred the tops of bushes where they could sun them- 

 selves, eat and stridulate, I found them easy to capture, for, ap- 

 proaching cautiously, one could usually get within a few feet of 

 the musician before it took alarm and ceased its music." 



Fox (1917) states that "at Monterey, Ya., i>ist-ill<it<i was found 

 in briers and low shrubbery on dry stony mountain slopes close 

 to the woods covering the summit where it was associated with 

 ft. fnrc<it<i. At Bolar it occurred in the tall herbage of an old 

 meadow in the intermontaue valley. This is, I believe, the most 

 southern authentic record of this species." Saussure & Pictet 

 (1897, 332) record pistiUntu from Georgia. Scudder says this 

 record is "surprising," and R. & H. (1914a, 280) say "this locality 

 is certainly an error, as the insect is not known to occur in the 

 Appalachians south of northern Pennsylvania." Since they wrote 

 Fox has found it in Virginia and S. & P. were probably correct in 

 their record. 



