NOTICE OF BOOK. 185 



and Mr. Robert Laddiman, of this city, assures me that 

 he has repeatedly observed this action. As the ridge upon 

 the under surface of the upper wing-cover, when the elytra 

 are closed, rests in a position anterior to the before-mentioned 

 drum-head of the under wing-cover, it would appear that the 

 membranous ridge surrounding the glassy surface of the 

 drum has not by any friction of its parts anything to do with 

 the production of the chirp ; and I think it probable the 

 drum-head is an apparatus for the reflection of the chirp- 

 sound in any direction, and at the will of the cricket, for it is 

 well known that the insect is not always to be found in the 

 spot from whence its chirp appears to proceed. As the 

 male bird sings for the delectation of the female and to 

 attract her attention, so undoubtedly does the male cricket 

 chirp ; for the female cricket possesses no such apparatus 

 as I have described, and as far as I can ascertain does 

 not chirp. 



As the time is at hand when this beautiful insect is in full 

 vigour of life and song, and may be easily obtained, it would 

 be well if some of the readers of the 'Entomologist' would 

 secure specimens, and see if they can or cannot sub- 

 stantiate my foregoing remarks on the singing of Acrida 

 viridissima. 



Upper Eupert Street, Norwich. 



NOTICE OF BOOK. 



The Natural History of Hastings and St. Leonards. 

 Published by Hastings and St. Leonards Philosophical 

 and Natural History Society, 1878. 



This little work consists of a mere list of names of all 

 kinds of animals and insects which have been observed 

 in the neighbourhood of Hastings, both on land and in the 

 sea. Excepting that it gives the relative abundance, or 

 scarcity, of each species, it is little more than a mere list of 

 names, without localities or any information which would be 

 of use to the comparative naturalist. Nevertheless it forms a 

 good basis upon which to found more useful work. The 

 order Insecta occupies about twenty-four pages out of sixty ; 

 and all orders seem to have been fairly worked out. 



2b 



