186 IIKITLSH ORTHOPTERA. 



XYMPH.- -Xyinphs of the grasshoppers usually 

 collapse very badly in drying, but this species is one of 

 the worst offenders. However, the resemblance to 

 the adult is always sufficient to prevent misidentifica- 

 tion. Bracken, who tried to rear a Devonshire nymph, 

 says of it that it had the characteristically produced 

 vertex but the elytra and wings were not yet deve- 

 loped. The oily-green colour of the adult stage was 

 evident, and the dorsal reddish-brown stripe was very 

 marked. Its length was 5 mm., and it was taken on 



O ' 



10 June. 



VARIATION, ETC. One hot day in August 1899 "W. H. 

 Harwood captured a macropterous form of G. dorsculis 

 on the Essex coast, not far from Clacton-on-Sea. It 

 presented a very strange appearance on the wing. He 



and his son disturbed and cauerlit another, which was 



~ 



set free as its antennae were defective. They could 

 meet with no more. Though Harwood had fre- 

 quently seen the species in the locality, he had not 

 previously found a macropterous specimen. Examina- 

 tion of normal specimens at once reveals the fact that 

 though elytra are useful for stridulation, both they and 

 the wings are qnite useless for flight. In this example, 

 however, the wings and elytra are from IS to 19 mm. 

 long- -fully developed in fact and quite suitable for 

 use in flight. The macropterous condition in G. dorsalis 

 is certainly rare, even if it has previously been noticed 

 at all. This condition of the species recalls to some 

 extent a neighbouring species, G. fuscus Fabr. 



DATE. Late summer is the time for this insect, 

 August and September being the best months. It is 

 doubtful if mature examples have been met with in 

 July, but they may extend into October. Xyinphs 

 have been observed as early as 10 June and as late as 

 2 October. 



HABITS, ETC.- -Herbage ; reeds ; associated wiihGarex, 

 Aii(/<'H,:a, and sea-lavender; marshy ground; salt- 

 marshes, sandhills such are some of the haunts that 



