126 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. IX, 



The process is repeated, each egg overlapping the preceding 

 one, until a row has been deposited. The eggs are oval but 

 are very much flattened, resembling hemp seeds in shape. The 

 cone-headed grasshoppers have blade-like ovipositors of different 

 shapes, some being short and curved, others very long, straight 

 and pointed. These serve for inserting the eggs between the 

 leaves and stems of grass upon which the insects live. Ground 

 dwelling Locustidas such as Anabrus and Ceuthophilus, have 

 their ovipositors modified for piercing the ground. That of 

 Ceuthophilus is slender but strong and is equipped with five 

 teeth at its apex. 



The ground and field crickets lay their eggs, singly or in 

 groups of from two to five, in the ground. The long needle-like 

 ovipositor is admirably adapted for thrusting into the ground. 

 The tree crickets (Oecanthinse) have retained the long, needle- 

 like ovipositor but have modified its use to suit their changed 

 habitat. Stems containing pith are usually selected for egg 

 receptors, raspberry stems being most favorable. The female 

 begins operations by biting the twig and roughening it so that 

 the ovipositor may gain an entrance. The ovipositor is then 

 brought up, placed upon the roughened spot and by vigorous 

 working of the blades and thrusting with the abdomen, the twig 

 is pierced to the depth desired. The egg is deposited and 

 crowded tightly into the hole by the ovipositor after which it is 

 covered and left. The same process is repeated until the twig 

 contains a long row of eggs in the pith almost perpendicular 

 to the long axis of the twig. 



The mole crickets do not have a well developed ovipositor. 

 The eggs are deposited by simply dumping them in a heap in one 

 of the subterranean chambers. Contrary to the habits of the 

 other crickets, however, the eggs are watched and cared for until 

 they hatch. 



On the whole the Acrididas may be considered to have the 

 most generalized type of egg-laying. The BlattidcC and the 

 Mantids have been specialized in the direction of highly devel- 

 oped egg-cases while the Locustidas and the Gryllidas have 

 become specialized in the habit of laying the eggs singly or in 

 small groups, each single egg or group in its own prepared 

 •cavity. 



