154 



O R T H P T E R A . 



may be called climbing crickets, from their habit of mounting 

 upon ])lants and dwelling among the leaves and flowers. 

 According to M, Salvi,* the female makes several perfora- 

 tions in the tender stems of plants, and in each perforation 

 thrusts two eggs quite to the pith. The eggs are hatched 

 about midsummer, and the young immediately issue from 

 tlieir nests and conceal themselves amouii the thickest foliage 

 of the plant. When arrived at maturity the males begin 

 their nocturnal serenade at the approach of twilight, and 

 continue it with little or no intermission till the dawn of day. 

 Should one of these little musicians get admission to the 

 chamber, his incessant and loud shrilling will effectually 

 banish sleep. Of three species which in- 

 habit the United States, one only is found 

 in Massachusetts. It is the (EcantJius ni- 

 veus (Fig. 71), or white climbing cricket. 

 The male is ivory-white, with the up- 

 per side of the first joint of the antennse, 

 and the head between the eyes, of an 

 ochre-yellow color ; there is a minute black 

 dot on the under sides of the first and 

 second joints of the antennje ; and in some 

 individuals the extremities of the feet and the under sides 

 of the hindmost thighs are ochre-yellow. The body is 

 about half an inch long, exclusive of the wing-covers. The 

 ,^ female (Fig. 72) is usually 



rather longer, but the wing- 

 covers are much narrower 

 than those of the male, and 

 there is a great diversitv of 

 coloring in this sex ; the body being sometimes almost white, 

 or pale greenish-yellow, or dusky, and blackish beneath. 

 There are three dusky stripes on the head and thorax, and 

 the legs, antennte, and piercer are more or less dusky or 

 blackish. The wing-covers and wings are yellowish-white, 



* Memorie intorno le Locuste grillajole. 8vo, Verona, 1750. 



