212 THE entomologist's record. 



exterior surface of the posterior femora which is generally smoother 

 than in /•,'. muricata, and the upper and lower margins of that femur 

 in T*'. ijrandis are smooth, while in the other they are more or less 

 sinuous or slightly wavy. In the colouring of the body and its parts 

 I did not find sufficient differentiation in character to be worth 

 consideration. It is worth mentioning only that the wings of the- 

 male as well as the female are longer than the body though in the 

 male they are comparatively longer. The colour of the wings is ash- 

 blue, lighter near the base ; but, as already stated above, it is almost 

 impossible to describe the colour of the body of this new Krettiobia, to 

 such an extent does it differ in different specimens. Some of them 

 are of an uniform bluish-grey tint, others are ash-grey, and still others 

 are of a pinkish colour. Besides, some forms are uniformly coloured 

 with one of the above enumerated hues, while their tegmina are 

 covered with a larger or smaller number of dark or blackish irregular 

 spots or lines. Regardless of the fact that the general coloration of 

 hi. (jrandix is of the modest class, since it completely resembles the 

 colour of its habitat, we should, nevertheless, recognise it as very 

 brightly coloured were we to examine the various parts of the body 

 which the insect naturally conceals either when at rest or in the 

 presence of danger. It is evident that, were the exposed exterior parts 

 of the body tinted brightly, the presence of the insect would be 

 betrayed and it would become a prey to its enemies. This is why 

 only such parts of the body of the orthoptera are highly coloured as 

 would normally remain concealed. Among these parts in Anidiadea 

 the long hindlegs play an important role. The bright hues are here 

 usually displayed either only on the lower and inner faces of the 

 femora, or also upon the tibise and tarsi. The colour of the inner 

 surface of the hind femora of K. iirandix is l)right red but the ends of 

 the femora are light blue ; the colour of the inner surface of the tibia;, 

 like the femora, is also bright red. There is a still more beautiful 

 decoration in E. ijrandis, however, the meaning of which is entirely 

 puzzling to me. If by means of the finger we push the head a little 

 away from the pronotum we shall notice upon the posterior surface of 

 the head, which usually closes quite tightly upon the pronotum, two 

 small round spots of a clear white colour. These spots are surrounded 

 by rings of a beautiful lilac, and this entire design by orange or bright 

 yellow extending almost to the lateral side of the head. Fpon 

 examining these beautiful decorations one naturally asks himself, if 

 the bright colours of the Atrididdea are generally distributed over the 

 under and inner surface of the hind legs, raising which these are 

 readily exposed, how and under what circumstances K. <irandu 

 exhibits its curious coloration placed where one would least expect to 

 find it '? During my sojourn in the Caucasus I did not succeed in 

 unravelling this mystery, but it would be most interesting to have it 

 explained in the nearest future. 



In order to judge the variation and gaudiness of colours in the 

 hind legs of Acridiodea I deem it sufficient out of the niimerous 

 instances to notice, besides the already described E. (/randia, the 

 following. In one variety, apparently, of our common E. muricata, the 

 body of which is coloured greyish-yellow-clay, very much like the 

 colour of the clay plains of south-eastern Russia, where it breeds, the 

 colour of the inner side of the basal ends of the hind femora is violet, 



