MECOSTETHUS GROSSUS. 229 



the blade with its fore legs in order to bite along the 

 edge. Its action had a very " human ' appearance, 

 like that of a squirrel with a nut. They were seen 

 paired more than once, but I saw no eggs. The male 

 was dead on 18 September, while the female succumbed 

 about the 26th, the latter having eaten much grass 

 a few days before. When handled M. grossits emits a 

 dark brown-green fluid from its mouth. 



DISTRIBUTION. This grasshopper is found in Europe 

 and Siberia, its range in the former extending: from 

 Lapland to the Alps. It has been recorded from 

 Lapland, Holland, Belgium, England, Ireland, France, 

 Austria, and the north of Spain and Portugal. 



BRITISH DISTRIBUTION AND HISTORY. 

 In 1889 Eland Shaw wrote : " M. arossus is distributed 



</ 



widely over Northern Europe and in Spain in marshy localities,, 

 and will, I expect, be found fairly plentiful in our fen districts 

 when properly looked for " (<Ent. Mo. Mag/ 1889, p. 413). 

 Captures in recent years show that this prophecy has to a 

 great extent been fulfilled, it' in the term " fen ' we may 

 include " bogs," such as those which occur so commonly in 

 the New Forest. 



At the date above mentioned Shaw knew of but two modern 

 captures of this species ; one specimen taken by McLachlan 

 in the fens of Norfolk, and one by H. N. Ridley between 

 Glencar and Waterville in Co. Kerry, the latter being recorded 

 n the ' Ent. Mo. Mag/ vol. xx,p. 215, asPcichytylus cinerascens. 

 Previous to 1889, however, J. C. Dale took the species at 

 Whittlesea Mere, Parley Heath, and in the New Forest ; while 

 C. W. Dale recorded it as occurring on the Dorset heaths 

 and in the Isle of Purbeck, the last specimens he took in the 

 latter locality being captured on 27 July 1880. C. W. Dale 

 says further that it " has occurred in the west of Ireland, 

 and in the counties of Dorsetshire, Hampshire, Huntingdon- 

 shire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk; and in former years 

 in the marshes close to London * ('Eiuom/ 1895, p. 333). 

 Bardulph Fen is one of the actual localities referred to. 



On 10 September 1892 one male was taken at Irstead in 

 Norfolk (Shaw) amongst tall rank grass close to the bank of 

 the River Bure, this being the first recorded capture of the 

 species in Britain since the taking of the Kerry specimen., 



