ORTHOPTERA. 45 



often furnished with a tail-like spot, surrounded by 

 ridge-like veins, the sound being produced by rubbing 

 the wing-covers sharply over each other. The green 

 Grasshopper {Acrida mridissima) is one of the largest 

 British specimens of this family, being about two inches 

 long and three and a half in expanse of wing. Though 

 of a beautiful green colour when alive, the colour soon 

 fades on the death of the insect. I must not forget to 

 notice the elegant green grasshopper of the oak {Meco- 

 nema varla). It is a smaller species than the last, and 

 dwells on trees, and not on the ground. As the insect 

 is of the same colour as the leaves, and difficult to 

 detect, the only way to procure specimens is to 

 beat or shake the leaves and catch the falling 

 beauties. I have occasionally obtained specimens from 

 the bark of oak trees. It is a lovely creature, and I 

 must ask my readers to try and procure specimens in 

 the summer and autumn. Of the Cricket family, the 

 Achetida% there are two genera, the cricket (Acketa), 

 and the mole cricket (Gryllotaljoa). In the former 

 genus there is the well-known "cricket on the hearth" 

 {A. domestica), and the field crickets (A. camjyestris and 

 A. sylvestris). The domestic cricket has extremely long 

 and slender antennse, the wings and wing-covers have a 

 horizontal position ; the wings are of large size, and 

 when folded up they form a pair of long, slender pro- 

 cesses, which often extend some way beyond the extre- 

 mity of the body. The sound-producing apparatus is 

 similar to that in the Gryllidce. The common cricket, 

 as is well-known, establishes itself in the neighbourhood 

 of the fire-place, generally preferring the kitchen, where 

 its monotonous chirp, chirp, may often be heard. lu 



