SUBFAMILY IV. CONOCEPHALIN^E. 545 



ually as it was worked within the stem she almost imperceptibly moved 

 forward a little at a time Finally when the ovipositor was buried to its 

 utmost length it was directed backwards. It was now appreciated how 

 well adapted the beautiful curve and structure of the organ are for this 

 purpose. A moment later the blades were spread apart, allowing the elon- 

 gate egg to be lodged within the center of the pith, the latter having been 

 pressed to either side for the accommodation of the egg. As soon as the 

 first egg was deposited, she withdrew the ovipositor and immediately 

 turning around she again bit the same spot, spending several minutes 

 chewing the fibers and pinching the sides together with her powerful jaws. 

 This was done in order to use the same opening to deposit the second egg. 

 She next moved a little way down the stem, but this time her head was di- 

 rected downwards so that she might insert the ovipositor in the same hole, 

 but deposit the second egg in a reversed position to that of the first. When 

 the third and fourth eggs were about to be deposited she moved down the 

 stem to a new site about half an inch away, varying the distance, and the 

 process with its several stages was repeated The interior of the stem was 

 finally filled for a considerable distance with eggs, about ten minutes be- 

 ing consumed in the deposition of each one, nine incisions being made in 

 the one stem and 18 eggs deposited. It may be of interest to note that 

 Riley (1884, 187) mentions that this species oviposits in the stems of vari- 

 ous pithy plants, and especially in the tassel stem of Indian corn." 



Notwithstanding its wide distribution and common occurrence 

 O. vulgare has not a single synonym. Redtenbacher (1891, 500) 

 placed vulgare as a synonym of DeGeer's Xiphidiirin agile, stating 

 as his reason for so doing that Harris and Scudder had separated 

 the two "on account of small differences in the color and size of 

 the wing covers, as w r ell as in the length of the ovipositor.'' 1 

 pointed out (1903, 384) that his relative measurements of A", agile 

 as given, did not agree with specimens of undoubted vulgare in 

 my possession, and retained the latter species as distinct. In this 

 I have been upheld by recent writers. 



248. OKCHELIMUM GLADIATOR Bruner, 1891, 71. Gladiator Meadow Grass- 

 hopper. 



Size medium, form robust. Pale transparent grass-green throughout; 

 the usual dark brown markings on the occiput and disk of pronotum; on 

 the latter composed of two well defined, narrow, slightly diverging lines; 

 antennae rufous, tarsi and extreme tip of ovipositor tinged with rufous. 

 Fastigium short, obtuse, the extreme tip shallowly silicate. Pronotum 

 much as in vulgare, the metazona a little more upturned; lateral lobes 

 deep, their lower hind angle subrectangular. Tegmina somewhat variable 

 in length, usually but slightly passing tips of hind femora, female, more 

 distinctly so, male; inner wings of same length as tegmina, male, a little 

 longer, female. Hind femora usually unarmed beneath, rarely with one 

 or two short spines on outer margin. Cerci of male as in key and Fig. 

 179; subgenital plate as in vulgare, the styles longer. Ovipositor as de- 

 scribed in key. Length of body, ^,17, 9, 18 20; of antennae, $, 43, 9, 



