1896.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 233 



dash at it to see if I could settle it by decapitation. The cut 

 caught it just in front of the wings and the severed head, fore- 

 legs, and about one-half an inch of the slender thorax worked 

 itself to the floor and was packed away by the ants. The part 

 which remained standing on the table was one and one-half inches 

 in length, and consisted of balance of the thorax, wings, two 

 pairs of legs and the abdomen. 



For possibly half a minute this was perfectly still, then deliber- 

 ately the wings were spread. This spreading of the wings was 

 laterally as in flight ; first the cases were raised until nearly per- 

 pendicular. The wings then opened like fans, forming two 

 parallel, vertical planes. At the same time the more forward 

 pair of the four legs left was drawn well under the body, well to 

 the front and straightened, causing a very erect position to be 

 assumed. In this curious pose a slow, circling walk from right 

 to left was commenced, the rear legs traveling more rapidly, 

 or in reality having more lateral reach from the position of the 

 body ; the same number of steps would carry them over more 

 ground. This was kept up for an hour, when it ceased. 



The next morning, finding it yet standing, I touched it with a 

 lead pencil. Again it started on its circular march, but the 

 wings were only slightly opened. Up to 10 P.M. on the night of 

 the third day after the decapitation, this same effect was produced, 

 the only difference being the gradual lessening in the amount of 

 energy exerted, both as to rapidity of motion, amount of space 

 covered and duration. This covers at least seventy-four hours. 

 On the morning of the fourth day the body was lying on its side, 

 and all signs of life had ceased. 



In order to ascertain if this motion was entirely without method, 

 I placed a book in the path on the second day and was surprised 

 to see with what care and judgment it was surmounted. I verified 

 this experiment on a number of occasions and always with the 

 same result. A few evenings ago, here in New Mexico, I tried 

 it again, but found that some twelve hours was the limit. Possi- 

 bly this may be accounted for by the fact that this is a much 

 colder climate than San Ricardo, where I first tried it, in old 

 Mexico. 



Will some of our entomologists tell us if this is an unusual 

 display of vitality for an Orthoptera ? Popular Science News. 



