THE GREAT GREEN GRASSHOPPER. 163 



repeats the operation. The eggs are deposited in the 

 autnmn^ but the young are not hatched until the 

 following spring; when only just escaped from their 

 prison, they closely resemble their parents, but do not 

 acquire their wings and elytra until after changing 

 their skin several times. The ovipositor of the female 

 of G. viridissimus makes its appearance after the 

 second moulting, up to which time no difference of 

 sex can be distinguished in the larvae. 



Like the true Grasshoppers the Gryllina feed upon 

 fresh vegetable matters, but although the large British 

 species and several others are found amongst low 

 herbage, the majority of the members of the tribe 

 fi'cquent the branches of trees, and many of the 

 exotic species present a most wonderful resemblance 

 to the leaves of various plants, so much so in fact 

 that some of them might bear the name of walking- 

 leaves with quite as good a grace as the curious Phas- 

 midce, on which that appellation is usually bestowed. 

 A common but exceedingly elegant arboreal British 

 species is the Meconema varia, a beautiful green 

 insect with a yellow band on the prothorax, closely 

 resembling the G. viridissimus in appearance, but not 

 more than one-third of its size. It is usually found 

 on oaks, and also, according to De Geer, on elms, 

 and the male is remarkable from his not possessing 

 the peculiar apparatus for stridulation, which is cha- 

 racteristic of most of the species of the tribe. 



In captivity these insects have been observed to 

 depart somewhat from their usual vegetable diet, and, 

 what is worse, to exhibit truly cannibal propensities. 

 Thus if two specimens be placed together in a box, 

 they will fight most desperately, and the victor gene- 

 rally devours at least a portion of his antagonist. 



