58 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIS-T. 



a rank grass growing near the water's edge and on very damp meadows. 

 The females insert their slender ovipositors and lay their eggs between 

 the blades and stem. It is very active in its movements, and when dis- 

 turbed easily eludes pursuit by creeping down among the dense mass of 

 grass. 



Xiphidium nigropleurum, n. sp. — In its general structure very similar 

 to the preceding, but with a much shorter ovipositor. Bright transparent 

 green, with eyes, stripe on the occiput and the sides of the abdomen 

 shining black. 



This meadow grasshopper is a moderately robust species, with narrow 

 vertex, short occiput, large globular eyes, broad pronotum and strongly 

 veined tegmina which in the male are furnished with a large shrilling 

 organ. The tegmina are usually abbreviated, reaching only four-fifihs the 

 length of the abdomen ; but an occasional specimen is to be found in 

 which the wings are fully developed and then reach to the extremity of 

 the ovipositor in the females. Ovipositor straight, quite broad and heavy, 

 about as long as the body Male cerci of medium length, rather stout, 

 tapering gently towards the apex, and with a strong sub-basal tooth. 

 Antennae long and slender. 



General colour bright transparent-green, with the markings on the occi- 

 put, pronotum and abdomen bordered with yellowish-white which con- 

 trasts strongly with the other colours, which character taken together with 

 the vitreous or glassy appearance of the entire surface, render this insect 

 quite conspicuous among the members of the genus. 



Length of body, ^, 13.5 mm., $, 15 mm.j of antennae about, ^, 43 

 mm., $, 50 mm.; of pronotum ^^ 3 mm., $,36 mm.; of tegmina ^ , 9 

 mm., $, 8 mm, short, 19 mm., long; of hind femora, ^, 13 mm., V, 15 

 mm. 



This beautiful insect, which is our most active species of the genus, is 

 quite plentiful among the rank vegetation on low, moist grounds, and is 

 especially common in wet places where the "cut grass" ( Leesia oryzoides) 

 grows. The supposition is that this grass offers a better place than usual 

 for the deposition of its eggs which, like tho^e of the " lance tailed " 

 meadow 'hopper, are deposited between the leaves and stems of grasses. 

 Grape vines and other creeping plants which form matted clusters that 

 afford shelter from the noonday sun and the bright light of day are 



