240 B KIT IS 1 1 ORTlIOITEltA. 



the whole, however, I have not found ('). viridulus 

 subject to much variation. 



DATK.- -This species is usually mature soon after the 

 middle of June, and it may be found from that time 

 till well into September, if not later. It is in fact one 

 of the earliest of our grasshoppers to reach the mature 

 condition. 



HABITS, ETC-.- -Possibly there may be some connection 

 between the green colouring of 0. viridulus and its 

 apparent preference for grassy places. On the whole 

 perhaps it affects slightly elevated grass lands, moors, 

 and similar places more frequently than low lying 

 spots, though Morley records it from marshes at 

 Beccles. In captivity it will eat grass, holding a blade 

 with its fore legs, so as to eat along the margin, as 

 noticed of other British Acridians. The following 

 curious occurrence may be worthy of note. On 

 1 August 1910 at a damp spot in a " ride ' in the New 

 Forest, where grass was luxuriant, a number of grass- 

 hoppers were found dead, but holding to the grass as 

 if simply resting there. Perhaps all were 0. viridulus. 

 In some cases the abdomen seemed unduly distended, 

 but there was no obvious cause of death.* Was the 

 luxuriant grass too succulent for them ? 



DISTRIBUTION. --0. viridulus is widely distributed in 

 northern and central Europe, and is found in Siberia 

 and Amur. 



BRITISH LOCALITIES. 



0. viridulus is one of our common grasshoppers,, being 

 found in all four divisions of tlie United Kingdom. 



EN GLAND.-- .Be r&s : Neighbourhood of Radley College 

 (Burr). Sucks; East Burnham Common, and Burnham 

 Beeches (Campion). Cambridgeshire: Wicken (Porritt). 

 Cheshire : Delamere, Great Meols, and Hoy lake (Sopp) Frod- 

 sham (Warring ton Municipal Museum). Cornwall: Cloggy 

 Moor (Daws) ; Perranportli (Bracken) . Cumberland: Salkeld 



: A female Gompliocerus maculatus was found in a similar condition in the 



New Forest on 19 August 1918. 



