290 NEW NORTH AMERICAN MELANOPLI (oRTHOPTERa) 



of shining blackish mummy brown. Caudal femora with internal portion of 

 dorsal surface showing two patches of dark brown, these continued on the 

 internal face, and pagina tinged with dark brown dorsad in corresponding 

 position. Caudal tibiae buffy, faintly tinged with glaucous. 



The series shows variation to a recessive type (one male) in which the entire 

 insect is ochraceous-buff, the postocular bar on head and pronotum obsolete, 

 the markings of the caudal femora subobsolete, the caudal tibiae buffy. This 

 recessive condition is in preponderance among females of the present series, 

 fourteen being quite as immaculate, while but two of the remainder are strongly 

 intensive. 



This color pattern and similar intensification and recession is likewise found 

 in other species of the Marginatus Group, but in none have we found as large a 

 proportion of strongly recessive examples. 



Measurements {in millimeters) of extremes only 



Length of Length of Caudal width of Length of Width of Length of 

 body pronotum pronotal disk tegmen tegmen caudal femur 



& 



Type 15.3 3.8 2 2.9 2.1 8.7 



Paratypes 0) . .U-\b .S 3.2-3.7 2-2.1 2.6-3.7 2-2.3 8-8.8 

 9 



Allotype 16.2 3.8 2.5 3.2 2.4 8.9 



Paratypes {I'd) 15.2-18 3.7-4 2.7-2.9 2.9-3.7 2.2-2.6 8.5-9.9 



Specimens Examined: 28; 8 males and 20 females. 

 California: Paso Robles. 



The entire series, which in addition to the type and allotype 

 may be considered paratypic, was taken at Paso Robles, Cali- 

 fornia, on August 21, 1909, by the author. The species was 

 found at elevations of from 750 to 900 feet in the low, dry, sun- 

 cured, yellow grass, on hillsides dotted with oaks. Though not 

 common, this was the most abundant species of Orthoptera 

 encountered at this locality. 



Melanoplus acidocercus '^"new species (Plate XXXI, fig. 6.) 



The present insect is a member of the Scudderi Group, showing 

 nearest affinity to M. carnegiei Morse (see plate XXXI, fig. 5). 

 Compared with that species it is found to be of average larger 

 size, showing certain differences of color pattern, while the teg- 

 mina average broader. Males are, in addition, readilj^ distin- 

 guished by the form of the cercus: in acidocercus the cercus 

 is decidedly more elongate, averaging one and one-half times as 

 long as basal width, tapering to the acute and slender apex; in 

 carnegiei the cercus is short, averaging about as long as its basal 



""From dKts = pointed (acute), and cercus. 



