Scudder.] 390 [Februarys, 



Mr. S. H. Scudder stated tliat he hud purposed to watch 

 the transformation of our grasshoppers, during the coming 

 summer, to determine the rehitive rank of the families of 

 Orthoj^tera. All entomologists, German as well as French, 

 English and American, have placed the Forficidina (unless 

 distinguished as a separate order) at the head of the group, 

 the Blattina second, the PhasmidiB and Mantidaj tliird, the 

 Gryllodea, Locustina and Acrydii last. Burmeister and De 

 Haan have changed the order of the latter families, but the 

 general arrangement remains the same. 



Graber has recently published* some observations which bear di- 

 rectly upon the point, but he has drawn no deductions from them. 

 His studies on the transformations of these insects lead him to divide 

 them into two groups, the saltatorial and non-saltatorial orthoptera. 



In the latter group, the first indication of wings in the young in- 

 sect is a slight expansion of the outer hinder borders of the dorsum of 

 the meso- and meta-notum; this grows larger with succeeding moults, 

 and, just before the final moult, becomes an extensive lappet, which 

 shows no sign of disrujJtion from the segments; the veins of the 

 future wing are already mapped out, but they are only horizontal 

 dorsal extensions of the thoracic segments. In the former groujD the 

 wings arise as little lappet-like vertical extensions of the pleura of tbe 

 meso- and meta-notum, aad are directed slightly backward ; in a second 

 or third period they become separated by a suture from the segments 

 of which they are but prolongations, and in the succeeding stages the 

 wings are bent over, separated clearly from their segments as projier 

 appendages, and assume a dorsal, horizontal or roof-like position in- 

 stead of their former lateral and vertical one. They have left the 

 embryonic position retained by the other group through life, and have 

 attained a higlier one. The saltatorial orthojotera must then be 

 placed above the other groups of orthoptera, contrary to the usage of 

 all previous writers. 



The Custodian announced the purchase of a large collec- 

 tion of birds, reptiles and insects, obtained by Dr. C. H. Van 

 Patten during his residence in Guatemala. 



*Zur Entwlckelung.sgeschichte mid Eeproductionsfilhigkeit der Ortliopteren. 

 Sitzungsb. der K. Akad. der Wissenschaften zu Wien; Math.-naturw. Classe; 

 Baud LV., 307. 



