260 FAMILY VI. ACRIDIDJE. THE LOCUSTS. 



ulates on the wing during short flights, seldom, if ever, in the 

 more prolonged ones, which it makes when frightened. The note 

 is a harsh droning or buzzing sound, somewhat resembling that of 

 a bumble-bee, but louder. It is begun after the insect has risen 

 three or four feet above the ground, and is continued until it be- 

 gins to descend, being kept up continuously while it is flying hori- 

 zontally. The females usually leap for the first two or three 

 times they are disturbed, but if flushed a number of times they 

 use the wings in endeavoring to escape. 



The general range of E. sordid us is northern, extending from 

 New England and Ontario west to Minnesota and Nebraska, and 

 south and southwest to North Carolina and Tennessee, the single 

 Florida record (tfcnddcr 1875c, 47!)) having been based on a 

 wrong identification. Morse (1807, <>(>) stales thai it is 

 very common throughout New England, especially "in late 

 summer and fall, at which season the dull rattling of the 

 countless numbers which rise before the stroller on a sunny day is 

 almost continual. "It is recorded by Walker (liMrJa, -.~i.~) ) from a 

 number of points in southern Ontario, but west of that province 

 is replaced by E. jmrnix Scudd. It is known from Wayne and 

 Washtenaw Counties, Mich. (Hiilibrll), and is said to be common 

 in Iowa, throughout southern and western Minnesota, and over 

 most of eastern Nebraska. In Virginia Fox reports it as "one of 

 the most abundant grasshoppers in the dry pastures of the high 

 intermoutane valleys." 



Morse (18!)6a, 19) describes the courtship of two males kept in 

 captivity with a female as follows: 



"Aroused by her near presence they crawled rapidly about and as they 

 approached her would stop, stridulate for a second with their hind thighs, 

 and excitedly leap toward or upon her, when being repulsed they would 

 repeat the operation. The sound produced was a very high pitched 'i-cJii- 

 i-chi-i-chi-i-chi.' Another sound of an entirely different character was 

 made in a different manner. The hind thighs, instead of being closely ap- 

 plied to the wing covers, were spread somewhat apart and violently vi- 

 brated, moving, as nearly as could be judged, up and down with extreme 

 rapidity and striking as they did so upon the bottom of the box. The 

 sound produced was a peculiar 'r-r-r-rd' or 'r-r-r-rt' low in tone and of 

 considerable volume." 



The Lontxtit ncbulosa Harris (1841, 14(5) and the Ocdi/todd 

 jx-Hiicida Provancher (1888, 41) are synonyms of E. sordid us. 



IV. CAMXULA Stal, 1873, 114, 120. 



Body short, size below the average for the Oedipodiiw; head 

 compressed; vertex with disk ovate-oblong in male, broader in fe- 



