GRASSHOPPER CHIRPER. 401 



BUS {^ ; hind toe j%, its claw j% ; second toe j%, its claw ^% ; 

 third toe ^'^g, its claw 2^ twelfths ; fourth toe /j, its claw 1^ 

 twelfths. 



Female, — The female is exactly similar to the male, only 

 that the dusky lines on the fore part of the neck are wanting. 

 Length to end of tail 5/j ; extent of wings 7h 



Variations. — I have not observed any remarkable variations 

 in the colour of adult individuals of this species. 



Changes of Plumage. — As the summer advances, the fea- 

 thers of the tail and the quills become very ragged ; and as the 

 edges of the feathers generally fall off, the upper parts are more 

 of a greyish-brown colour, and the lower paler. 



Habits. — The Grasshopper Chirper arrives in the south of 

 England about the middle of April, in the district around 

 Edinburgh not until the beginning of May, and betakes itself 

 to thickets and hedges, where, owing to its peculiar habits, 

 somewhat resembling those of the Hedge Chanter, it is very 

 seldom observed. " It is not a plentiful species," Montagu 

 observes, " but probably appears less so by its habit of conceal- 

 ing itself among furze and thick hedges, discovering their place 

 of concealment only by their singular cricket-like note, which 

 is so exactly like that of the Grilla-Talpa as scarce to be dis- 

 tinguished. We have found it in Hampshire, in South Wales, 

 and in Ireland, but nowhere so common as on Malmsbury 

 Common in Wiltshire, to which place the males come about 

 the second week in April. At this time only they expose 

 themselves upon the top branches of the furze, and are con- 

 tinually making their singular chirping notes, their only song. 

 In this situation we have killed several. As soon as the females 

 arrive, which is about ten days after, the males no longer ex- 

 pose themselves, and are almost silent till about the dusk of the 

 evening, when they are incessantly crying ; possibly to decoy 

 the larger species of Grasshoppers, or the Grilla-talpa, which 

 begin their chirping with the setting sun. The female very 



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