14 



piece. The suture which separates the upper lip from the clypeus may be 

 called the labial suture. 



The labrum covers the mandibles, or strong corneous upper jaws, which 

 are furnished on the inner margin with strong teeth or serratures, presenting 

 both cutting and grinding surfaces, thus admirably adapting them to the 

 voracious habits of these vegetable-eaters. 



Immediately behirld these are tlie maxillce., or under jaws ; the basal por- 

 tion or body is somewhat triangular in form ;' the outer lobe (^galed) is slightly 

 dilated, and has a small joint at the base ; it is hollowed on its inner margin, 

 which covers the inner lobe. The latter is elongate and narrow, terminating 

 at the ape.x with two sharjj teeth. Near the base of these jaws are attached 

 the maxillary palpi, one palpus to each jaw ; these appendages resemble short 

 antennee, and consist of five joints, the first and second being minute, the other 

 three are longer and usually about of equal length. 



The under side of the mouth (or in Acrididce, as in many other families 

 of insects, we might more properly say the back or hinder part) is covered by 

 the labium, or lower lip, which is large, and consists of two lobes ; the outer 

 lobe is more or less circular in form, its surface near the exterior margin 

 being crossed by an indenture, which gives to it, when closed, the appearance 

 of- a mandible. This member is also furnished with two appendages (labial 

 palpi), resembling the maxillary palpi, but are shorter, and composed of but 

 four joints, the first or basal joint being very small, and often scarcely per- 

 ceptible. The tongue (lingua) is well developed, thick, fleshy (and some- 

 what spatulate in form in Acridium americanum) ; it is situated immediately 

 forward of the labium and between the maxillas, and its minutely pappillate 

 surface certainly indicates that the sense of taste is well developed. 



The iiead is connected with the thorax by the neck (collum), which is 

 but a short cylindrical ring, usually hid by the pronotum ; it is not used in 

 describing genera or species. 



The thorax (Fig. 1, th) is the middle portion of the body, to which are 

 attached the six legs, and also the four wings, when present. In order to 

 accommodate the strong muscles necessary to the motion of these members, 

 it is the most robust of the three parts of the body. It consists of three 

 parts, each composed of several pieces : the front portion, which bears the 

 fiist pair of legs, is the p?-othorax ; the middle portion, which bears the 

 middle pair of legs and the upper wings (elytra), is the mesothorax ; the pos- 



