Zoology.] NATURAL BISTORT OF VICTORIA. [Insects. 



hearing as in the macrourous Crustacea). The long ovipositor of 

 the female is composed of six pieces, and can be thrust to its 

 full depth into the earth, and then separated to allow the eggs 

 to pass between them ; the female after depositing a few eggs 

 withdraws the ovipositor, and bores into another spot. Unlike 

 the Locusts and the Field Crickets, which keep chiefly on the 

 ground, the Grasshoppers frequent the branches of trees in moist 

 places, feeding on the leaves, which they generally resemble in 

 color ; most species, therefore, being green, and not variegated 

 with the gay colors so often seen in the Locusts. The Grass- 

 hoppers of any species are not so numerous as the Locusts in 

 individuals, and — not forming swarms — are not dreaded as plagues. 



The young, on escaping in spring from the egg laid in autumn, 

 are like the parents, except in size, and wanting the wings. At 

 first the two sexes are alike, but after the first moult (about two 

 months old) the ovipositor of the female begins to grow. In the 

 pupa condition they resemble the larvae in shape and activity, but 

 have rudimentary wings projecting a little way from the second 

 and third joints of the thorax. Their hearing is very acute, as 

 the males stop their song on the slightest noise. 



It is unfortunate that the generic name Locusta should be 

 applied to a highly typical group of Grasshoppers congeneric with 

 the present fine species, differing altogether from the Locusts in 

 the very long antenna;, long ovipositor of the females, and the 

 stridulating, mica-like organ at base of tegmina of males. The 

 generic name Phasgonura, applied to them by Prof. Westwood, has 

 not the priority, or else it would be preferable. 



The pupae of the male and female resemble the adults, except 

 that the elytra and wings are not more than half the length of the 

 abdomen. 



This L. vigentissima of Australia is so like the L. viridissinut 

 (Linn, sp.), or Great Green Grasshopper of France and England, 

 in general appearance and many details of structure that it would 

 be easy to mistake one for the other if the great difference of 

 locality did not draw attention to the valid specific distinctions 

 which really exist. It is one of the singularly close imitations 



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