51 



towards food of an animal natui-e. In most cases there is an ovi- 

 positor (sometimes of considerable length). The first and second 

 families, however, form an exception to this rule ; members of the 

 second also possess short antennje. The GryllntalpidiE live under- 

 ground, and consequently in them we meet with another peculiarity 

 in structure — their forelegs are so modified as to become efficient 

 digging organs, resembling quite noticeably those of the " mole " 

 itself. The faculty of " singing " is well developed, and our four 

 species are adepts at the art, but other members of the Gryllodea 

 leave them far behind. As with the rest of the Orthoptera, there 

 is little post-embryonic development. 



Popular names have been given to our four crickets, which in 

 most cases probably does not so much mean that they are well- 

 known, as that they are sufficiently distinct from one another, to 

 make a common name possible. So little resemblance is there in 

 fact that an identification-table is scarcely necessary. The follow- 

 ing artificial one is, however, given : — 



A. Ovipositor exserted ; fore-legs normal. 



(a) Spines of hind tibiae long, slender, 



moveable ; tirst segment of 



hind tarsi not serrate ; species 



dark brown, small .. .. *10mm. Neinobius sylvestris. 



(h) Spines of hind tarsi strong, fixed ; 



first joint of hind tarsi serrate 



on both sides, species larger. 



1. Very dark and bulky .. 23mm. Gryllus campestria, 



2. Greyish - brown ; less 



bulky .. .. .. 18mm. Gryllus domesticus. 



B. Ovipositor not exserted ; forelegs modi- 



fied for digging ; size very large .. 45mm. Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa. 



Nemobius sylvestris, Fabr. (The Wood Cricket). This inter- 

 esting little cricket is distributed all over Central Europe, and is 

 found in North Italy, Spain, and Algeria. In Britain there appear 

 to be but three localities — the New Forest, where it is very common 

 (W.J.L.) ; Parkhurst Forest, in the Isle of Wight (F. Morey) ; and 

 Bordwood, also in the Isle of Wight (H. F. Poole). Wood Crickets 

 are dark brown insects, with head still darker ; the elytra are short 

 and truncate ; the ovipositor is long. In the New Forest they 

 occur especially amongst dead leaves, and appear to like dry banks, 

 or at any rate slightly rising ground. Burr says they are adult in 

 June and July ; but they certainly are also in August and Septem- 

 ber, and it is not at all unlikely that some individuals hybernate as 

 imagines. Small nymphs seem to be always in evidence. N. 

 sylrestrif; takes short leaps of some nine or ten inches, but it also 

 runs rapidly, though by fits and starts, and so is not easily secured. 

 If much disturbed it soon hides amongst the dead leaves and vegeta- 

 tion. Specimens kept in captivity ate leaves of Pynis tonninalis, 



* Average length of the female from the front of the head to the base of 

 the ovipositor. 



