656 FAMILY VIII. GRYLLIDJE. THE CRICKETS. 



tween the first and second teeth and lying on the anterior face." 

 From this normal form it varies in progressive degree to a re- 

 markably bifurcate organ in which the inner limb is elongated 

 and devoid of hairs, the innermost tooth nearly disappears, the 

 second is greatly prolonged into a claw-like organ, while the femur 

 acquires tooth-like projections on its upper, inner ventral angle 

 and becomes greatly enlarged. 



"These sand crickets," says Scudder, "are in general appear- 

 ance, miniature Gryllotalpas, though, not being heavy bodied, they 

 can leap vigorously, bounding high in the air. Nothing is more 

 curious than these lively and pygmy mole-crickets; they live in 

 similar places, and make burrows like the mole-crickets, but their 

 forelegs, though constructed for burrowing, are very different in 

 detail. They are not, however, found in quite such wet spots as 

 the mole-cricket haunts, preferring the sandy margins of ponds 

 rather than muddy ones- Their burrows are at first vertical, but 

 immediately turn, running not more than an inch below the sur- 

 face of the ground, and are very narrow, as would be expected of 

 such little creatures ; one measured was hardly a twentieth of an 

 inch in diameter. The males are not provided with any tambourine 

 upon the wings, and therefore can not sing." 



313. TEIDACTYLUS APICALIS" Say, 1825, 310. Larger Sand Cricket. 



Color variable, usually black or dark brown; occiput and thorax with 

 pale markings; tegmina with dorsal area and a spot behind middle yellow- 

 ish; fore legs dull yellow; hind femora dull yellow with upper half of outer 

 face brownish or with three dark cross-bars. Disk of pronotum with apical 

 fourth constricted and a faint median groove. Tegmina with tips broadly 

 rounded. Other characters as given above. Length of body, 6 9.5; of 

 pronotum, 2 3; of tegmina, 3 3.3; of wings, 7.58.5; of hind femora, 

 3.55 mm. (Fig. 216.) 



This sand cricket appears to be common locally in southern 

 Indiana, but has been noted only in Lake County in the north. It 

 occurs mainly along the sand bars of the larger streams. In 

 Owen County it has been seen by hundreds in August and Sep- 

 tember on the damp bars along White River, often in company 

 with EUljx'K ininittd, while in Putnam and Vigo counties adults 

 have been taken in early June. It occupies small pits or bur- 

 rows in the sand, and may sometimes be seen resting with the 

 head, and half the body, outside the opening of the pit, into which 

 it backs as one draws near. When out at a distance from any 

 convenient pit, it leaps vigorously when approached, often to 



"Say's first spelling of this name was apicialis, a word without meaning and an evi- 

 dent error, which was corrected by Burmeister (1838, 741.) 



