154 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



and I have often been surprised, when describing this 

 insect to persons of intelligence who have had every 

 opportunity of noticing it, to hear them say, I have 

 never seen one. It's voice however has been heard 

 by all and isvery generally considered the harbinger 

 of approaching winter. 



Plate V. Fig. 23, represents the male Katy-did; Fig. 

 25, the female, with expanded wings, and Fig. 24, one 

 in a sitting posture. 



There are several other species in this country, all 

 of a more or less green color, and all belonging to the 

 same family, as, for instance, the Sword-bearer, Con- 

 ocephalus Ensiger, with a conical head and a very long 

 ovipositor ; the oblong-leaf-winged Katy-did, Phyll- 

 optera oblongifolia ; the narrow-leaved Katy-did, Phan- 

 eroptera angustifolia, and several others. 



But the tropics furnish many other species, which 

 bear a still more striking resemblance to leaves, and 

 from this circumstance are accordingly named, Laurel- 

 leaf, Lily-leaf, Myrtle -leaf, etc. 



This close resemblance has been the origin of many 

 fabulous accounts and marvellous stories, namely, that 

 some kinds of leaves are metamorphosed into insects, 

 and living insects are changed into dead leaves, &c. &c. 



A certain traveller, in a work on America published 

 several years ago, related the most absurd stories in 

 regard to these insects. He said that on this Continent 



