304 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



me on this occasion was quite unable to detect the sound, 

 although certainly within two feet of the insect. 



While searching for nymphs and nymph cases I have several 

 times noticed stems of bracken which have been punctured in a 

 rather peculiar manner, strips of the cuticle having been partly 

 detached, the cavity within containing numbers of ova. Although 

 I have never been successful in rearing the nymph from the few 

 ova which I have removed, and have not been fortunate enough 

 to see the female in the act of ovipositing, there can be little 

 doubt, judging from the habits of nearly allied species, and also 

 from the spot where I have found these ova, that they are the 

 eggs of C. montana. The ovipositor must be a powerful instru- 

 ment to slice the cuticle of the bracken, the method of which the 

 illustration will help to explain (p. 302). Although in the instance 

 figured we have two punctures at a distance of an inch apart, I 

 have often found cases with only one such puncture, and in 1911 

 noticed a bracken stem with three punctures. Each of these 

 punctures seems to contain some dozen or twenty ova, although 

 I cannot be sure of the exact number, as I have always en- 

 deavoured to disturb them as little as possible. 



In length the ova reach 2 mm., the medial diameter being 

 but I; mm. ; they are considerably more pointed at one end than 

 the other, smooth and somewhat shining, and when first laid 

 a pale cream in colour ; they rest longways within the bracken 

 stalk, but do not appear to be placed in any particular order. 

 Ova found on June 23rd, 1912, judging from the discoloration 

 of the puncture, had evidently been laid some little time ; these 

 ova were still in the same position and unhatched on August 2nd, 

 they then seemed, however, to be slightly darker in colour. 

 Again, on October 6th, I noticed that they were still unhatched, 

 although by this time they had assumed a brownish tint. After 

 this date I was unable to find the nest. Of course, it is possible 

 that these ova were infertile, though they certainly had not that 

 appearance. 



There is no doubt that in 1912 C. montana was exceptionally 

 plentiful, as, in addition to those already mentioned, I found 

 many other empty nymph cases in the neighbourhood. 



In 1913 a careful search on May 18th revealed no trace of the 

 bug, and being away during the following three weeks I could not 

 again visit the locality until June 11th, when at 3.15 p.m. I 

 found a recently emerged female resting just above its nymph 

 case. Although the wings were fully expanded, the mature 

 coloration was not completely assumed until 5.20, when the 

 insect was still in the same position where I left it. Only two 

 other nymph cases were to be found, both of males, and a 

 thorough search a week later did not receive any reward, nor 

 did I on either occasion detect any singing, in spite of the fact 

 that the weather was quite favourable. I may mention, however, 



