488 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vor. XI. 
making Orthoptera will be found'). Gryllacrids are also sometimes 
to be found in holes in trees, under loose bark, and under the 
eaves of buildings. 
Annandale and Gravely have described the habits of the 
Stenopelmatinae found in Burmese and Malay caves (J.A.S.B. 
[n.s.], IX, p. 413). In the Cochin Ghats Stenopelmatids are com- 
mon under logs of wood. 
Alarming colour and attitudein Capnoptera, spp., and a possible 
use of the spines on the thorax of Eumegalodon blanchardt, are 
described by Annandale (Proc. Zool. Soc., London, 1900, pp. 854-5 
and 866). 
Gryllidae. 
The habits of a noisy burrowing cricket—doubtless Brachy- 
trypes portentosus (‘‘ achatinus’’*)—are described at length by Cun- 
ningham (‘‘ Plagues and Pleasures,’ pp. 161-170). I have never 
seen ‘‘molehill-like heaps of loose earth cast out of the mouths of 
almost finished diggings’ of these crickets. Sometimes there is a 
small and untidy collection of loose earth, but I have usually 
found the burrows somewhat difficult to locate in spite of the 
vigour with which the insects proclaim their whereabouts.’ 
A cricket closely resembling Brachyirypes achatinus, but much 
smaller, often flies to light in Calcutta. Like many still smaller 
species it has a way of partly unfolding its wings and then 
rapidly vibrating them. Why it should do this I have been 
unable to determine. The action, which is performed equally 
by both sexes, looks like stridulation, but only the faintest rustling 
sound is produced, and the male stridulates loudly in the ordi- 
nary way. 
Mr. Fletcher tells me that Liogryllus bimaculatus is neither 
exclusively vegetarian nor exclusively carnivorous, feeding on both 
vegetable matter and dead insects when both are offered. 
Nothing yet appears to have been recorded of the Calcutta 
house-cricket. Itisa fair-sized, mottled, grey-brown insect, flight- 
less in both sexes. The female is entirely wingless, but the male 
has well-developed elytra provided with a stridulating organ of the 
usual Gryllid type, with the aid of which he sings even more 
persistently, though fortunately more quietly, than Brachytrypes 
portentosus, going on from evening far into the night. This fami- 
liar song is, however, not the only one that he is capable of pro- 
1 See also Ruthertord, Spolia Zeylanica, X, p. 77. 
» Kor synonymy see Kirby’s ‘ Synonymic Catalogue’ (British Museum). 
* Mr. Bainbrigge Fletcher tells me that most of the burrowing is done before 
the insect becomes mature and begins to sing. Concerning the singing he says 
‘The male first looks out of its burrow, then runs out rapidly and retreats again 
as quickly, having apparently brought up a little earth ; sometimes it repeats this 
two or three times. Satisfied that the coast is clear, the cricket runs boldly out 
onto the little platform of earth outside its burrow, turns round facing its hole and 
with its head almost in the entrance, raises itself on its legs which are well spread 
out, slightly opens out its tegmina and commences to shrill. A slight quivering of 
the tegmina is all that can be seen, the motion apparently being too rapid for the 
eye to follow.” 
