490 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Dec., '08 



drawn between the mandibles for their whole length. The 

 dexterity with which they manipulate these seemingly un- 

 wieldy appendages (which are about five times the length of 

 the body), leaves the observer in no doubt as to how they 

 stow them away in the cramped confines of their improvised 

 retreats. Leaving the locustids in darkness for a while, no 

 change was noticed upon returning, except that the male had 

 ensconced himself in his old cell in a pod that has been left 

 lying on the floor of the receptacle. From it he was reluctantly 

 dislodged. They were then left for the night. 



In the morning it was found that both females had made 

 cells for themselves, not however in the pods, but in leaves. 

 Each had neatly rolled up a leaf, after making an oblique 

 (with reference to the midrib) cut on one side near the petiole 

 end. (See top figure, Plate XXV). At or near their edges 

 the two halves of the leaf were bound together by fine silk- 

 like strands, and I was fortunate enough to see one of the 

 females finishing her work, she being inside the pocket. The 

 thread flowed from between the points of the mandibles, they, 

 the palpi, and in fact the whole mouth mechanism moving 

 incessantly. The head was swung from side to side, and the 

 mandibles merely touched to a spot, first on one flap of the 

 pouch and then on the other, to which the thread immediately 

 adhered. Rather an elaborate web was made across the more 

 open upper portion of the pouch, but a passageway was left 

 open. 



Later in the day, while I was necessarily absent, my wife 

 observed the male making a pouch. Only through her watch- 

 fulness am I able to give an account of this interesting process. 

 The male, be it remembered, did nothing throughout the night, 

 and he was further inactive till about 10 A. M. For an hour 

 he had sat motionless on a leaf (which had a ragged indenta- 

 tion almost reaching the midrib near the tip), when at seven 

 minutes before ten o'clock he turned facing the apical end, 

 grasped the edges of the leaf with three legs on each side, 

 pulled them toward each other till they were separated by a 

 space of only about a quarter of an inch, and immediately be- 

 gan to run lines from edge to edge. Backing a little, more 



