Hover-Flies. 



\2y 



[P. J . Barraud, F.E.S- 



Chorthippus Nymph. 



A young female of this species enlarged to six times its actual size. The growing wings 

 at present cover only about a third of the hind-body ; at full development they will cover it. 



part of which exhibits 

 several stroni^- folds and 

 another part is finely 

 grooved. The finer 

 ridges of the grooved 

 portion are rubbed by the 

 inner face of the thigh 

 moving over them, and 

 the strong folds are struck 

 by peg-like warts near 

 the base of the same 

 limb. It is very pro- 

 bable that it was a grass- 

 hopper of this t\-pe, but 

 with wings, which was 

 encountered in Africa by Mr. Gregory. In his book, TJie Great Rift Valley, he says : 

 " Strolling one evening out of the camp at Kurawa, I was startled by a hissing 

 noise like that of a snake coming from a clump of grass. As I was wearing knicker- 

 bockers and tennis-shoes, I sprang back and pelted the grass \\ith handfuls of sand. 

 As this did not drive out the supposed snake, I cautiously approached, peering into 

 the clump. I could just detect a small green head among the stalks, and behind 

 this appeared, whenever the noise was repeated, an expansion like the hood of 

 a cobra. I tried to kill the animal by a few sharp blows with m}^ stick behind the 

 head, and one of these knocked it over, 

 by a big grasshopper, 

 which, by puffing out its 

 wings, assumed a resem- 

 blance to the shape of the 

 head of a hooded snake ; 

 while its noise was a good 

 imitation of the dull jerky 

 hiss of some species of 

 snakes." 



Hover-Flies. 



Among llic Insects 

 that are entitled to the 

 d i r e c t tnicouragemcnt 

 (not mere tol(M'ation) of 

 the gardener are the 

 yellow-banded little flies 

 that hang in air, sustained 

 in one place by move- 

 ments of the wings so 

 rapid that the form of 



I then found that I had been frightened 



I'holo b\_ [H. linstm. 



Spotted Gr.\sshopper. 



.\ female example of this small native heath grasshopper. It is very variable in its colour- 

 ing, according to the prevailing tints of its surroundings. It will be noticed that the 

 antenn;E are clubbed, but this feature is more evident in the males. It is common throughout 

 northern and central Europe. 



