160 the entomologist's record. 



maximum development in the temperate regions of both hemispheres;- 

 genera, species, and individuals are numerous in Europe, but the 

 number of American forms will probably come as a surprise to most 

 European orthopterists. 



In 1893, Brunner knew 25 genera, of which only six were 

 American. Caudell describes 59 species inhabiting North America, 

 distributed through 20 genera. The only Old World genus repre- 

 sented is Platycleis, with P. fletcheri, Caudell, from Calgary. From, 

 the illustration, this species somewhat recalls P. bicolor, Phil., from 

 central Europe, but when compared carefully with European 

 collections, it will probably require a distinct genus for its reception. 



There are numerous illustrations, which should be very useful for 

 purposes of identification. Aglaothorax and Neduba seem to resemble 

 Olyntlioscelis ; the male of Neobarrettia looks like the large south 

 European Platycleis septum; Rehnia is like Drymadusa; Capnobates- 

 recalls Decticus, and Anoplodusa is like the winged Platycleis of the 

 group of P. grisea. Apote is a fine insect, like a short-winged 

 Drymadusa ; Stipator recalls Rhacocleis. Anabrus is the only 

 Decticid which ever occurs in sufficient numbers to do damage. 

 At times, hordes of these invade the cultivated areas in the western 

 States, and are popularly known as " Army Cricket," " Idaho Devil," 

 and by other complimentary names. The several species are sunk by 

 Caudell as mere colour varieties. They are big, stout, flightless 

 insects, something like our largest species of Olynthoscelis : the 

 ovipositor of the female is long and straight. Peranabrus scabricollis 

 is a big, powerful creature ; the female has been figured by Snodgrass 

 in the act of oviposition ; she stands on her long hind-legs, and 

 supports herself by clinging to a clump of grass with her shorter 

 anterior legs, while the sword-like ovipositor is buried up to its hilt 

 in the ground. 



The majority of the species have the elytra and wings abbreviated ; 

 in fact, Capnobates and Anoplodusa appear to be the only fully- winged 

 American genera. 



Their habits do not appear to differ materially from those of our 

 European forms, except in the case of Anabrus and Peranabrus. The 

 hordes of these genera are said to be often several miles in extent ;. 

 such an invasion occurred in Koute County, Colorado, in 1904, and 

 is described in detail by Gillette and Johnson in the Bulletin of the 

 Colorado Experimental Station, no. 101. They breed in barren 

 clayey soils, where the cracks in the dry ground facilitate oviposition. 

 Though chiefly herbivorous, like the European Decticids, they readily 

 eat animal food, such as worms, insects, dead snakes, cooked fish, and 

 even fresh horse manure and cow dung; they are also cannibals; 

 females exhausted by oviposition are frequently eaten by their more 

 vigorous mates, and disabled members of the swarms are pitilessly 

 devoured. 



Many birds prey upon them, and toads and fish consume the 

 drowned crickets. The Indians of the valley of the Great Salt Lake 

 used to remove their horny heads and legs, and eat them like shrimps, 

 though without the formality of cooking. 



When on the march they travel about half a mile in a day ; they 

 advance in serried ranks, one specimen to every square inch of 

 ground, about fifteen of them crossing a given point every minute. 



