706 FAMILY VIII. GRYLLIIUC. TIIK CRICKETS. 



reach the mating stage in early May, when the males begin to 

 greet the passer-by with their merry chirp. 



Neither this species nor pennsylvanicus are social crickets. 

 Sometimes two or three of the young have adjacent burrows be- 

 neath the same chunk, but more often both they and the adults 

 are solitary. The eggs are laid in June and July, and the newly 

 hatched young are to be found in numbers during July and 

 August. 



Caudell (1907d, 292) has stated that this form is the same as 

 G. nigra Harris (1841, 123), but that form was regarded both by 

 Uhler (1862, 152) and Scudder as a synonym of pennsylvanicus 

 which Harris did not mention. Moreover, the type of Harris is 

 destroyed and his original description is so short and incomplete 

 that no one can tell what species he had in hand- 83 I therefore 

 have retained this as a middle-western variant or form of G. 

 ossiinilis. 



From pennsylvanicus, with which form vernalis was confused 

 until 11)03, the latter may be readily separated by its smaller size r 

 narrower pronotuni, more uniform shining black color, shorter 

 ovipositor, and the shape, and position, when at rest, of the fe- 

 male tegmina. The reticulation of the dorsal field of these teg- 

 mina is more noticeable in vernalis than in pennsylvanicus, the 

 main diagonal nerves being closer together and the cross nervules 

 more elevated and prominent. Moreover, vernalis reaches matur- 

 ity in the spring about a fortnight the sooner. 



Outside of Indiana, venial is (as G. atnericanus} has been re- 

 corded from Illinois and Texas by Hart (1906, 91; 1906a, 160) 

 and from Franklin County, Ohio by Mead (1904, 110). Hart men- 

 tions it as ''undersized, tegmina wholly black, usually divergent 

 in female, peculiarly crinkled," and (1906a) says: ''From what 

 1 have seen of this in Illinois I should think it was clearlv 



e 



distinct." 



333f. GRYLLUS ASSIMILIS NEGLECTUS Scudder, 1862, 428. Neglected Field 

 Cricket. 



Size small to medium for the genus. Nearly a uniform piceous-black; 

 tegmina sometimes black, frequently a light ochraceous brown. Pronotum 

 about one-half wider than long. Tegmina of females covering two-thirds 

 or more of abdomen, those of male reaching to its extremity. Ovipositor 

 about one-third longer than hind femora. Other characters as given in 

 key. Length of body, $, 15.521, 9, 1823; of pronotuni, $, 3.23.4, 

 9, 3.34; of tegmina, $, 911, 5, 7.510.5; of hind femora, $, 9.410.8, 

 9, 9.4 11.5; of ovipositor, 12.5 15 mm. 



S3 It was as follows: "We have another species with very short or abortive wings; 

 it is entirely of a black color and measures six-tenths of an inch in length from the 

 head to the end of the body. It may be called Achcta nigra, the black cricket." 



