150 Zoology of Colorado 



is the so-called Carolina locust, Dissosteira Carolina. The hind 

 wings are black with a broad yellow margin, so that in flight 

 there is a singular resemblance to the mourning cloak butterfly. 

 Another species (Arphia) has the hind wings bright red, and is 

 extremely conspicuous when flying. An English entomologist, 

 Lord Walsingham, suggested that this fact would serve to con- 

 fuse pursuing birds, because when the insect alights, the red 

 entirely disappears. A bird having "seen red," would continue 

 to look for it, and be unprepared to fix its mind on a totally 

 different appearing object. It is further true that the hoppers 

 at rest very closely resemble the soil, and where the soil is red, 

 the hoppers have reddened varieties. In addition to this, they 

 suddenly double back on alighting, so that they are not where 

 we might expect them to be. I have been completely deceived 

 by this; possibly birds are more intelligent. 



In the southern and western parts of the State, as at Pueblo, 

 Trinidad, Delta and Grand Junction, is a very large locust with 

 the hind wings deep blue, bordered with black. This insect has 

 a curious history. Many years ago, in the report of the Wheeler 

 Survey, there was figured an insect called Leprus wheeleri, with 

 pale yellowish hind wings. No one found such locusts, but 

 instead the blue-winged species, which seemed in general to 

 agree with the one figured. The difference of color in the wings 

 was supposed to be due to fading, or the influence of a preserva- 

 tive. So the matter remained, until one night I happened to be 

 in the streets of Roswell, New Mexico, and saw some of these 

 locusts under the electric lights. I idly picked one up, and 

 opened the wings to see the blue color, but to my astonishment 

 it was not there. I had found the real Leprus wheeleri, looking 

 exactly like the original picture, not only as to the color of the 

 hind wings, but also in the pattern of the upper pair. The 

 blue-winged locust was accordingly given a new name, Leprus 

 cyzneus. 



Another genus, Circotettix, common in the mountains, is 

 easily recognized by the noise made in flight. A popular name, 

 Castanet grasshopper, is so characteristic as to lead to instant 

 recognition. 



The lubber grasshopper, Brachystola magna, often found 

 near the eastern base of the mountains, is exceedingly bulky, 



