1867.] 307 rScudder. 



found in the feebleness or delicacy of the sounds which many species 

 emit. To distinguish the notes clearly, one must bring his ear to 

 ■within a few feet, or even inches of the insect during its stridulation 

 — a process which requires great caution lest the extreme shyness of 

 the little violinist should overcome his egotistic love of song. Once 

 disturbed, these insects wait some time before recommencing to chirp; 

 to obviate the tedious delay, I have had recourse to artificial means, 

 imitating the note myself with a quill edge and file; a quick response 

 is almost sure to follow. 



My plan of observing them is as follows: after walking quietly 

 toward the sound until it ceases — this generally takes place when I 

 am at a distance of twenty or thirty feet— I wait motionless for its 

 renewal; then, carefully marking the direction of the note, for it is 

 almost impossible to determine the distance, I pass cautiously around 

 the arc of a wide circle, until I get another line nearly at right angles 

 to the first, and thus fix approximately the position of the insect. I 

 then walk rapidly, but with as little disturbance as possible, to within 

 five or six feet of my goal, stoop down or fall upon my hands and 

 knees, and produce my apparatus. I commence my mock stridula- 

 tion after a short delay; at first, the sounds must be subdued and sejj- 

 rated by considerable intervals, then loud and re^ieated in quick suc- 

 cession. Before a minute has elapsed, and, often, in a few seconds, I 

 hear the response. Atler holding a short conversation in this way, 

 I permit the insect to chirp to his neighbors, and searching for him in 

 tlie grass, approach him quietly while he sings, remaining motionless 

 in the intervals. Qne may thus place himself within a' few inches of 

 any species living in the grass, or upon foliage of any kind, and nar- 

 rowly observe all its movements. 



Our Orthoptera stridulate in three diflferent ways: first, by shuf- 

 fling the bases of the elytra together; second, by scraping the hind 

 thighs upon the outer surface of the elytra, and third, by rubbing to- 

 gether the elytra and the thickened veins of the anterior edges of 

 the wings. Gryllides and Locustarice use the first method ; Acrydii, 

 the other two. The apparatus employed in the first case, consists of 

 a peculiar conformation of the veins at the base of the elytra; in 

 Gryllides^ these veins occur in the central field, but in the Locustarice 

 in the inner field of the Aving. 



In each of the various groups, the pitch presents a great degree of 

 uniformity. The Gryllides have the shrillest note; the Locustarice 

 succeed them; among the Acrydii, those species which use their legs 

 in stridulating, rank third in order of shrillness, Avhile those whicli 

 rub their wings and wing-covers together have the lowest note of all. 



Harris is wrong in stating that our crickets do not begin to cliirp 

 before the autumn months ; they are heard in this vicinity fi-om the 



