PSYCHE. 



THE HABITS AND NOTES OF THE NEW ENGLAND SPECIES OF 



OECANTHUS. 



BY WALTER FAXON, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 

 (In a Letter to S. H. Scudder.) 



Two ye.irs ago I became a good deal 

 interested in our Oecantlii. I found four 

 species in tiie region about Cambridge, 

 all of them distinct in their markings, 

 and all save one readily distinguished 

 by their habits and notes. 



1. Oec. niveics; whitish-green, with a 

 roundish black spot on basal segment of 

 antennae, and another on the second 

 segment. The song is the well-known 

 rhythmical cricket-note of autumn even- 

 ings. 



2. Occ. angiislipcnnis ; greenish-white, 

 more niveous than itivciisX Like the 

 last, chiefly nocturnal, singing on trees 

 and shrubs. Basal joints of the anten- 

 nae with crescentic black marks. Song 

 entirely different from that of nh'ciis, 

 consisting of a trill of several seconds' 

 duration, succeeded by a short pause ; 

 this song suggests the spring note of 

 the toad, heard afar off. 



3. Occ. nigrkornis ; strong yellowish 

 cast on the wings ; legs and antennae with 

 a good deal of fuscous ; basal segments 



of antennae marked thus [showing a 

 figure with a heavy digamma on the 

 basal joint and two longitudinal lines 

 on the second joint], though the pattern 

 is often obscured by the fuscous suffu- 

 sion of the whole antennae. Note a long 

 continuous r-i-r-r-r, which sounds in a 

 small way like a Cicada. Diurnal, sing- 

 ing particularly on low herbs, Solidago 

 etc., on edges of swamps and also in dry 

 fields. 



4. Occ. ^-piinctatiis ; similar to Occ. 

 iiigriconiis, but antennal joints marked 

 thus [the second joint as in the last ; the 

 basal with a reversed figure 7, the short 

 arm followed by a dot]. Rarest of the 

 four species about here ; diurnal, found 

 on herbs in dry fields. Song similar to 

 that of No. 3, but clearer in tone and 

 no doubt sufficiently distinct on close 

 acquaintance. I have found only two 

 or three of this species, in Cambridge 

 and Lexington. 



I have found all four of these species 

 within a few rods of the Museum. 



