ORDER ORTHOPTERA. 57 



They are among the most peculiar insects in existence. Their 

 appearance is comical in the extreme. Many of them resemble 

 sticks, either green growing trees or brown and withered branches, 

 and hence the name of stick insects commonly applied to them is 

 very appropriate. On account of their skeleton-like forms they 

 have also been likened to ghosts and spectres. 



Some few species mimic leaves of trees and various plants, 

 and these are often called " leaf insects." 



The number of species of this family is not very large, and by 

 far the greater part of these are inhabitants of the warmer regions 

 of the earth, and they seem to increase in size, especially the 

 nearer their home lies to the Equator. 



Among the more interesting species we may mention Cypho- 

 crafiia seffiirubra from Brazil, with short greenish elytra and pink 

 wings. 



Baciilus 7'osn is a brown, wingless form found in Italy and the 

 south of France. 



Some of the tropical species are among the largest insects known. 

 A winged Australian species attains the length of ten inches. 



LopapJms cocophagus is a common species in the South Sea 

 Islands, and sometimes commits great ravages in the plantations 

 of cocoa-nut trees. When this insect is alarmed it squirts out a 

 highly acrid fluid, which causes great pain, and sometimes blind- 

 ness if it reaches the eye. 



We may remark that no species of Phas)iiid(Z are known to 

 inhabit the British Isles. 



Tribe II. — Saltatoria. 



The principal character of the insects belonging to this tribe 

 consists in the adaptation of the hind legs to the purpose of 

 leaping. 



The males of most of the species possess the faculty of pro- 

 ducing loud chirping sounds, but the means by which this is 

 efiected vary in the different families. 



Family 4, AchetidcB.- — The most familiar British insect belonging 

 to this family is the common House Cricket {Acheta domesticd). 

 Living, as it does, in the immediate vicinity of the fire, it seems 

 to be totally independent of the changes of the seasons, and may 

 usually be found of all ages at all periods of the year. Crickets 

 are particularly abundant in bakehouses, being extremely partial 

 to warmth. The chirping noise which they produce at night-time 

 is sometimes almost deafening, and it is really surprising from 

 what a very long distance the sound may be heard. 



