318 THE entomologist's record. 



segmented tarsi, auditory organ situated at the side of the 1st abdo- 

 minal segment, by the short ovipositor of the female which consists of 

 four short separate valves, and by the position of the stridulating 

 apparatus, which is formed, with a few exceptions, by a ridge of minute 

 teeth on the inner side of the posterior femora, which are rubbed against 

 the hardened veins of the closed elytra. The Acridiodea fall into a 

 number of families, of which six occur in Europe. 



The characters employed to discriminate the genera and species of 

 this division are somewhat difficult to understand at first. The frons, 

 or face, viewed from the side, may be strongly inclined (oblique), or 

 vertical ; it is important to notice whether the frons makes an angle 

 with the top of the head, or whether the limit between the two is 

 rounded ofl:' ; quite near the apex of the head there are often to be seen 

 a pair of narrow grooves, called the foveolas of the vertex ; these offer 

 important characters, according to their exact position, shape, depth, 

 &c. ; the frons itself may be almost smooth and rounded, or narrow 

 and deeply keeled and sulcate. The venation of the elytra offers im- 

 portant characters, and the names of the various veins and areas 

 between them should be learnt. Different authors have employed 

 different terms for these parts, but the nomenclature of Briinner von 

 Wattenwyi is the simplest. The elytra should be opened for exami- 

 nation, and the veins and areas are considered in order from the fore 

 border backwards. After the costal margin, the first nervure is called 

 the mediastinal vein ; behind this is the radial vein, which is often 

 divided from the base into three branches, known as the anterior radial 

 ("vena scapularis" of Fischer), the middle radial ("vena externo- 

 media " of Fischer), and the posterior radial ("vena subexterno- 

 media" of Fischer). Next comes the ulnar vein, often of two 

 branches, the anterior ulnar (" vena interno-media " of Fischer), 

 the posterior ulnar ("vena subinterno-media " of Fischer); 

 behind this still is the " vena dividens " of Brunner, which is the 

 " vena analis " of Fischer, and finally the " vena plicata " of 

 Brunner or " vena axillaris " of Fischer. For the last two veins 

 mentioned, the names of Fischer are nearly as frequently employed as 

 those of Brunner. The space in front of the mediastinal vem is the 

 mediastinal area; the next area, between the mediastinal vein and the 

 first radial, is the scapular area ; between the first and middle radial 

 vein is the externomedian area ; between the posterior radial and 

 anterior ulnar is the discoidal area, which is large and broad and pro- 

 minent in many cases ; in the middle of this there is often a small 

 subsidiary vein called the vena intercalata ; between the two ulnar 

 veins is the interulnar area, and lastly, between the vena plicata or 

 axillary vein and the hinder border of the elytra, is the axillary area. 

 The wings themselves offer less important characteristics ; they are 

 divided into the front and posterior portion by the strong vena plicata 

 or axillary vein ; the hinder or axillary portion is large, always mem- 

 branous ; in the anterior portion we find the homologies of the veins 

 of the elytra, and, in some genera, this anterior portion is hardened, and 

 the veins strengthened, so that the insect makes a stridulating noise 

 during flight owing to the rubbing of this hardened part of the wing 

 against the hinder border of the elytra. 



The feet offer few characters ; the hinder tibitp have a double row 

 of spines above, the number of which is sometimes useful to observe ; 



