THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 59 



favorite haunts for this and other species of our nocturnal grasshoppers 

 and a few of the arboreal crickets. 



The " black-sided grasshopper" is found throughout the eastern half 

 of the State along all of the streams, the banks of which are lined with 

 shrubs and trees. Whether or not it is to be found beyond the region of 

 " forests," I am not prepared to say at present. In a collecting trip 

 taken during the summer and fall of 1888, for the purpose of ascertaining 

 the approximate range of various species of our Nebraska orthoptera, this 

 species was not seen west of Antelope County, on the upper Elkhorn 

 river. 



While speaking of the members of the genera Xiphidhcm and 

 Orchelimwn it might be well to record a {tff notes relative to their 

 variation in wing-length and habits. Undoubtedly everyone who has had 

 occasion to examine any of our common species of these grasshoppers, 

 has noticed that wing-length was a character not to be relied upon as 

 specific or even varietal difference. A very little examination will at once 

 suflSice to show this. So far I have long and short winged specimens of 

 the following species in my collection : — Xiphidiutn bi'evipenne, ensi/erum, 

 saltans, stridum, lanceolatiim and nigropleurum. Of X fasciatum I 

 have only long-winged, and of fiemoraie and ictiifti I have only those 

 with short wings. X. gossypii is not definitely known to me, and there- 

 fore it is not possible for me to venture any remarks upon its wing 

 characters. Many of these insects are quite active fliers and are often 

 attracted after night to bright lights. All of the long-winged forms 

 mentioned above have been taken by me in such locations. That they 

 often fly to great distances is evident, from the fact that both the 

 lanceolatum and nigropleurum, described in this paper, have been 

 captured at the electric lights in cities at points upwards of a mile from 

 their natural haunts. 



The various species of Orchelimtim also vary somewhat in wing-length ; 

 but in no case, so far as I am aware, is the variation so great as in the 

 insects alluded to above. These too are attracted by lights ; and it is 

 often the case that the best things are captured here. 



Among our grasshoppers of the genus Orchelimum I find several 

 forms that do not appear to have been characterized. Of these two of 

 the most interesting will be described. 



(To be continued. ) 



