462 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [Dec., 'l2 



this nature. Several species of katydids have been observed 

 to vary their characteristic notes from time to time. Scudder' 

 reports a few instances, including Stcnobothrus curtipennis 

 Harris and Scudderia curvicauda DeG. The writer's obser- 

 vations include Scudderia texensis S. & P., Amblycorypha 

 rotundifolia Scudd. and Amblycorypha uhleri Brunner. 



The usual note of Scudderia texensis is a soft, shuffling 

 note, sh-sh-sh-sh-sh, at other times the call becomes a sharp, 

 rasping, zeet-zeet-zeet-zeet, which usually calls forth a similar 

 response from the others within hearing. The writer first 

 studied these notes at Oxford, Mass., in September, 1910.* 

 These modifications apparently were quite independent of ap- 

 preciable differences of sunshine, shadow, etc. 



The stridulations of Amblycorypha rotundifolia may con- 

 sist of brief, soft, shuffling phrases, sh-sh-sh-sh, repeated at 

 intervals. At other times the notes become more lisping and 

 continuous, tsip-i-tsip-i-tsip-i-tsip. The different call notes 

 of this katydid are very similar to those of the smaller Ambly- 

 corypha uhleri. The notes of the latter at times consist of a 

 rapid, silken, shuffling sound, sh-sh-sh-sh, occasionally re- 

 peated. At other times the notes become brief, staccato lisps, 

 i-tsip-i-tsip-i-tsip, followed by the usual phrases sh-sh-sh-sh. 

 Abrupt modifications of this sort nearly always get a similar 

 response from other individuals. f 



In a study of the stridulations of Orthoptera it is important 

 that the careful observer should avoid the conclusion that a 

 certain species has but a single note. It is evident that a 

 number of species are capable of modifying their stridulations 

 considerably at will. In some instances it appears that these 

 particular calls bear some unknown relation to changes in 

 environmental conditions. It is highly probable that they are 

 often more or less vitally connected with certain obscure social 

 relationships of the species. 



*"The Musical Habits of Some New England Orthopters in Sep- 

 tember," in Entomological News, Vol. XXII. 



t"The Stridulations of Some 'Katydids,' >: in Proceedings of the 

 Biological Society of Washington, Vol. XXIII, 1910. 



