1901 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 93 



were just sitting down to dinner, and hospitably invited the respectable old gentleman, who had 

 walked in, to partake of the meal. The King graciously accepted the invitation. Among the 

 ■dishes served was one of boiled apple-dumplings. In due course the King took one of these 

 upon his plate. He examined it with interest. He could see no marks of stitches, nor other 

 sign of a junction in the crust ; and, mentally giving up the riddle, he exclaimed "However 

 did the apple get inside the dumpling f ' 



The hair-snake is certainly found inside the cricket curled round, like the spring of a bird- 

 trap, under the skin of the insect. There it thrives, imbibing the juices of its host ; but how it 

 got there is as yet a mystery. 



I have mentioned the ground beetles that feed upon the eggs and young of the crickets. Our 

 largest Quebec species is the Copper-spot Ground-beetle, Calosoma calidu^n Fah. (Fig. 51). The 

 beautiful metallic spots on the elytra of this handsome insect make it easy 

 of recognition. We have other fine beetles of predaceous habits. Amongst 

 them is Carabus nueaitder Fisch., a brown beetle of elegant shape, and 

 with elytra finely sculptured with raised lines and rows of oblong spots. 

 This insect is not uncommon at Quebec, but is rare in other parts of the 

 province. Cychrns vidnus Dej., is another handsome beetle, purple in 

 colour, with striated elytra, and a large cordate abdomen. This last 

 named species is said to regard slugs and land-snails as high-class food. 

 But,— 



'■'■ Itevenons a nos moutonfi " 



Fig. 51. The Copper spot 



Ground-beetle. Gryllus domesticus, Linn (the Domestic Cricket). 



During the autumn months of this year a cricket enlivened my house 

 with its nightly serenade. Its place of abode was amid the inequalities between the mantel 

 and the brick-work of .the kitchen fire-place ; and its favourite position was to stand head down- 

 wards, with so much of its body protruded from beneath the mantel as would allow of the free 

 play of its wing-covers. With these appendages constantly vibrating, and with its long antennte 

 moving backwards and forwards, as if to catch the slightest pulsations in the air that niight tell 

 of danger, it would remain for hours. It did not seem to be afraid of light. I could approach 

 warily, lamp in hand, within a yard of it, and watch its motions ; but on the slightest aggressive 

 movement it would dart backward to its retreat. It was about eight lines in length of body, of 

 an ocbreous colour with brown and white markings. The veins of the wing covers were brown. 

 The antennae, palpi, tarsi and abdominal appendages were of a dull yellow. The last named 

 M'ere fringed. 



The call of the insect was kept up till the middle of October, when it gradually became 

 fainter and at length ceased. 



Ceutophilus maculatus, De Geee (the Wingless Cricket). 



A few seasons ago I had the opportunity of watching a wingless cricket as it sent forth itt* 

 shrill "'chirrup." Its hindmost pair of legs were moved up and down rapidly and their spin 

 shanks brought to bear upon the edges of the abdominal plates. The combined friction and 

 vibration produced the notes. The movement reminded me of that of the " up-and-down saw " 

 in an old fashioned saw-mill. 



The insect is the Ceutophilus maculatus of De Geer, and comes in the Locustaridse ; but, as 

 Harris calls it " the spotted, wingless cricket," and its call is a cricket's call, it seems fitting to 

 speak of it here. 



The creature can be easily recognized by* its rounded back, its brown colour mottled or 

 potted with yellow, and its lack of alar appendages. 



