276 _ THE entomologist's record. 



these species out at least as late as October 30th, on which day both 

 were busy chirping in the warm sun at Langdon Hole, near Dover. 



It is fortunate for our British orthopterists that our eight true 

 grasshoppers represent five distinct genera. The clavate antenn;i3 of 

 the two British species of Gomp/iocenis render them unmistakable, and 

 they do not resemble each other even superficially. The other six, 

 Avhich were all formerly inchided in the comprehensive genus Steno- 

 bothrus, often discourage beginners, but in reality offer no difficulty, 

 for they represent four distinct genera, so that, in most cases, the 

 characters which distinguish them are not specific, but generic. 

 Stenobothnis is restricted by Bolivar to those species in which the 

 valves of the ovipositor of the female are toothed, and the discoidal 

 area of the elytra is ample, with regular, almost parallel, reticula- 

 tions. This feature is very prominent, and in our only British species 

 of Stcnobothrus, can be detected at a glance. We have not to dis- 

 tinguish Stenobothriis lineatua from its relatives, 6'. fischeri and S. 

 nigroiieniculatuii, but from grasshoppers with totally distinct generic 

 characters. The wide discoidal area gives the stridulation of this 

 handsome species a distinctive tone, which cannot be confused with 

 the song of any other British grasshopper. It is a shrill, high-pitched, 

 continuous chirp, almost a whistle, on hearing which I confidently 

 record the species, even if I am unable to see or find a specimen. 



In (Jwocfsttis, as in all other British forms except Stennbothnis, the 

 valves of the ovipositor are not toothed, but the lower valves are long 

 and sinuous ; the keels of the pronotum are bowed, the discoidal area 

 of the elytra is narrow and irregularly reticulated, and the scapular 

 area is not dilated. We have two British species, 0. viridulns and 0. 

 rufipes ; in both these the stridulation is a long and prolonged vibra- 

 tion, but I doubt whether any human ear can discriminate between 

 them ; the song of no other British species resembles in the least 

 degree this maintained whirr of our two Omoreatiis. The bold red and 

 black coloration of O. rufipesi, with its white palpi, is readily distinguish- 

 able from the dull green or olive of O. rirididns. Sfaurorlenis contains 

 a good many species, but we have only one, the exceedingly variable 

 and extremely abundant 8. bicolor; it may be red, green, black or 

 brown, plain or striped, mottled or speckled, but it is only the British 

 species with angled keels on the pronotum, and with broad, short, 

 mediastinal and dilated scapular areas. 



Of C'Jtorthippns, with its parallel keels, we have only two species, C. 

 parallelns, with abbreviated wings, and C. elegans, with fully developed 

 organs of flight; there are, of course, other points of distinction, but 

 these are more subtle. The validity of C. lonnicornis is now perhaps 

 established, and this species should be sought for in England. The 

 points of distinction are discussed in the Ent. Ilec, xi., p. 244 (1899). 

 The stridulation of C. elei/ans is too faint to be very useful, and it 

 rather resembles the short, deep buzz, buzz of 8. bicolor. C. paralleltis 

 is less monotonous and easily recognised. C. elegans swarms on the 

 sandhills in Sandwich Bay, and also occurs in the Ham Ponds. 



(jroinpliocerns rufus, L., swarmed in the middle of the Warren in 

 1896, but I failed to find it in subsequent years. Mr. Ernest Green, 

 Mr. Fenwick and I then found it in swarms. It is a very distinctive 

 but localised species. 



