Chap. X. 



Orthoptera. 



283 



of the Locustidse is so loud that it can be heard during the night 

 at the distance of a mile ; 27 and that made by certain species is 

 not unmusical even to the human ear, so that the Indians on the 

 Amazons keep them in wicker cages. All observers agree that 

 the sounds serve either to call or excite the mute females. With 

 respect to the migratory locusts of Russia, Korte has given 28 an 

 interesting case of selection by the female of a male. The males 

 of this species (Puchytylus miyratorius) whilst coupled with the 

 female stridulate from anger or jealousy, if approached by other 

 males. The house-cricket when surprised at night uses its voice 

 to warn its fellows. 29 In North America the Katy-did (Platy- 

 phyllum concavum, one of the Locustidae) is described 20 as mount- 

 ing on the upper branches of a tree, and in the evening beginning 

 " his noisy babble, while rival notes issue from the neighbouring 

 " trees, and the groves resound with the call of Eaty-did-she-did 

 " the live-long night." Mr. 

 Bates, in speaking of the Euro- 

 pean "field-cricket (one of the 

 Achetidse), says, " the male has 

 " been observed to place him- 

 " self in the evening at the 

 " entrance of his burrow, and 

 " stridulate until a female ap- 

 " proaches, when the louder 

 " notes are succeeded by a 

 " more subdued tone, whilst 

 " the successful musician ca- 

 " resses with his antennse the 

 " mate he has won." 31 Dr. 

 Scudder was able to excite one 

 of these insects to answer him, 

 by rubbing on a file with a 

 quill. 32 In both sexes a re- 

 markable auditory apparatus 

 has been discovered by Von Siebold, situated in the front legs. 33 



Fig. 11 Gryllus campestris (from Landois) 

 Right-hand figure, under side of part of 1 

 wing-nervure, much magnified, showing 

 the teeth, st. 

 Left-hand figure, upper surface of wing- 

 cover, with the projecting, smooth nervure, 

 r, across which the teeth {st) are scraped. 



27 L. Guilding, 'Transact Linn. 

 Soc.* vol. xv. p. 154. 



28 I state this on the authority 

 )f Koppen, ' Ueber die Heuschrecken 

 in Siidrussland,' 1866, p. 32, for I 

 have in vain endeavoured to procure 

 Korte's work. 



29 Gilbert White, 'Nat. Hist, of 

 Selborne,' vol. ii. 1825, p. 262. 



30 Harris, ' Insects of New Eng- 

 land,' 1842, p. 128. 



31 'The Naturalist on the Ama- 



zons,' vol. i. 1863, p. 252. Mr. 

 Bates gives a very interesting dis- 

 cussion on the gradations in the 

 musical apparatus of the three 

 families. See also Westwood, 

 ' Modern Class.' vol. ii. pp. 445 

 and 453. 



32 ' Proc. Boston Soc. of Nat. 

 Hist.' vol. xi. April, 1868. 



33 ' Nouveau Manuel d'Anat. 

 Comp.' (French translat.), torn. i. 

 1850, p. 567. 



