22 ORTHOPTERA. 



insect, it very rarely loses sight of it, though it may cost some hours to take. If it sees 

 the insect a little beyond its reach, over its head, it slowly erects its long thorax, by means 

 of the moveable membranes that connect it to the body at the base ; then, resting on the 

 four posterior legs, it gradually raises the anterior pair also ; if this brings it near enough 

 to the insect, it throws open the last joint, or crocket part, and snaps it between the spines, 

 that are set in rows on the second joint. If it is unsuccessful it does not retract its arms, 

 hut holds them stretched out, and waits again till the insect is within its reach, when it 

 >prings up and seizes it. This is the uncommon posture before alluded to. Should the 

 insect go far from the spot, it flies or crawls after it, slowly on the ground like a cat, and 

 when the insect stops, erects itself as before. They have a small black pupil or sight 

 wliich moves in all directions within the parts we usually term the eyes, so that it can see 

 its prey in any direction without having occasion to disturb it by turning its head. 



The most prevalent colour of this tribe of insects is fine green, but many of these fade 

 or become brown after the insect dies: some are finely decorated with a variety of vivid 

 hues; the most beautiful of these that we have seen are from the Moluccas. 



TRUXALIS CHINENSIS. 



Plate 10. fig. 1. 



StCTioN. Saltatoria, Latreille. (Gryllus, Linn.) 



Family. Locustid;e. (Acridites, Za<rej//e.) 



Gents. Truxalis, Fabricius. (Gryllus, Acrida, Linnaus.) 



Cm. Sp. Tr. viridis, capite thoraceque vittis quatuor, elytrorum linea central! sanguineis, alls 

 albido hyalinis. Expans. alar. 5| unc. 

 Tr. green, with four longitudinal stripes on the head and thorax, and a central line 

 along the tegmina pink, wings stained pale buff hyaline. Expanse of the wings 

 51 inches. 



Syn. Tnixalis Chinensis, Westw. 



Gryllus nasutus, Donovan, \st Editioti. 



Donovan considered this insect as a variety of the Linnaean Gryllus nasutus, which he 

 states to be found in Africa, Asia, and the south of Europe; adding, its varieties are 

 numerous ; and in size and colour depend on the climate they breed in. Sulzer represents 

 it with red wings : in the Chinese specimens these are tinged with green. As several 

 species are thus evidently confounded together, I have separated that here figured under 

 the specific name of T. Chinensis. 



