These insects are well known by the incessant chirping which 

 they make in the evening and (.hiring the night ; a specimen 

 of Acrida viridisshna that I kept, feeding it with flies, con- 

 stantly began to sing at twilight ; and by placing a candle in 

 the room, I could distinctly see that the sound was produced 

 by chafiing the anterior margins of the elytra together when 

 at rest. 



Greatly as this family has been divided since the days of 

 Linnaeus, it is difficult to find characters that will embrace 

 even the insects that are now included in this genus. The 

 name Conocephaliis which Dr. Leach gave to these insects has 

 been dropped, because it applies to an exotic group with co- 

 nical heads that will not associate with any other ; and Mr. 

 Kirby's name has been adopted, as it is intended to follow the 

 views taken in the Zoological Journal by that learned author. 



Li giving the following arrangement, which I hope will be 

 found useful, I beg to acknowledge my obligations to J. C. 

 Dale, Esq., for his valuable information and assistance. 



A. Living upon or under the ground. Males with 



an ocellus at the base of the elytra. An- 

 tennae not spotted. 



* With perfect elytra and wings. 



\. A.viridissima Linn.^ Donovan v. ^. pi. 130. 



2. verrucivora Linn., Panz.Jasc. 89. pi. 20 & 2L 



3. Bingleii Dale, nob. 



4. grisea Fab., Sowerbifs Brit. Mis. tab. 64. 



** With imperfect elytra and wings. 



5. brachyptera De Geer. 



6. Kirbii Dale. 



7. fusca Fab., Panz.fasc. 33. pi. 2. 



*** Apterous, or with rudiments of elytra only. 



8. aptera Turton. 



B. Inhabit trees. Without an ocellus. Antennae 



spotted. 



* With complete elytra and wings. 



9. varia Fab., Don. v. 3. pi. 79. 



** With incomplete wings. 



10. clypeata Panz.fasc. 33. j^l- 4. 



Mr. Dale informs me that A. Bingleii was first taken at 

 Goodwin's Croft, near Christchurch, Hampshire, and given 

 to the late Rev. W. Bingley. Mr. Dale's female was taken 

 30th July, 1818, by the side of a barley field near Christ- 

 church, and his male at the same place the 14th of August fol- 

 lowing. This species has been confounded in the Entomolo- 

 gical Transactions with A. verrncivora, a very fine species 

 discovered near Rochester by Professor Henslow, the end of 

 August ; it is employed by the Swedish peasantry to destroy 

 warts, from which circumstance it receives its name. 



The plant figured is Carex pr^ecox (Vernal Carex). 



