Vol. XXVII . 



iqii 



j Hardy, The Sfini^ing of G. coarctata by D. hicolor. ij 



to allay by friction ; or (2) the wasp, disappointed and angry 

 at the loss of the prey, was deliberately stimulating poison 

 secretion, with the intention of taking severe measures to pre- 

 vent another escaj^c, thinking that her victim had been under- 

 stung. The question naturally presents itself, then, as to 

 whether, deceived into excessive stinging, there would be any 

 effect in the cricket worth noting. At this stage Diamma was 

 transferred to a jar, where she died in convulsions, owing to 

 an unavoidable inspiration of cyanide of potassium fumes. 



The cricket may now have our undivided attention. He 

 was placed in a small tin box of about three cubic inches 

 capacity, with some damp earth — almost pure sand. In an 

 hour he was moving his antennse and palpi ; a quarter of an 

 hour later some of his legs were moving. At the end of two 

 hours he had sufticiently recovered to shrink from a touch, 

 and on the following morning seemed little the worse for his 

 recent experiences. On being touched the cricket discharged 

 from the posterior gland the malodorous defensive fluid which 

 the species is known to secrete. Here I may note that on 

 the day following the stinging I examined the insect with an 

 inch objective and lieberkuhn, but could not find the slightest 

 trace of punctures in the intersclerital membranes. 



A week later the soil in the box — too shallow to give shelter 

 —had become dry, but, on my adding water, the cricket at once 

 commenced digging, and chirped a few times. On adding more 

 sand he began burrowing, thrusting the loose soil on cither side 

 and upwards with powerful outward strokes of the flattened fore 

 legs, and using his head also, but showed a tendency to progress 

 spirally, so he invariably would reach a position in which he lay 

 in the half-made burrow, and remained venter uppermost until 

 set right again. Even when not burrowing he would fall on his 

 back and become inert. This continued until a few days ago, 

 when the peculiarity disai)peared, and with it — excepting a weak- 

 ness in the hind pair of legs — the last evidence of the stinging.* 

 Functional activity appeared to be quite restored, as the 

 defensive fluid was now secreted and ejected. 



These few gleanings from the entomological harvest-field by 

 a non-expert may suggest to some young members of the Club 

 a sphere of observation where some useful work may be done. 

 The grasshopper, locust, and mole cricket are all enemies of 

 the sheep and cattle which depend on mankind for protection 

 of their grazing rights. While noting the habits of the wasps, 

 which destroy these and other pests, it would be interesting 

 to record what enemies there are for these agile and formidable 

 destroyers. Certainly, if any member had the least inclination 



* After two months the cricket, without food, was alert and apparently 

 in good health, then died suddenly. 



