FAMILY VI .— LOCUSTID^-:. 219 



The Forked-tailed Katydid, both sexes of which are 

 shown in Figs. 142 and 143, is one of the smallest and at the 

 same time most common 

 of the katydids; it frequents 

 thickets along fences, coarse 

 grasses and weeds. Prof. 

 Riley gives the following 



nrrrtuni- of +ViP pcrcr-ln vino- Fig. 143.— Sciicfder/a /wrcata. female. 



account OI tne egg laymg Natural size, original. 



habits of fare at a : "The female stations herself firmly 

 by the middle and hind legs on twigs or leaves contiguous 

 to the one selected to receive the eggs. This leaf is then 

 grasped by the front feet and held in a vertical position, 

 while the edge is slightly gnawed or pared off by the jaws to 

 facilitate the entrance of the point of the ovipositor. When 

 this is done the abdomen is curved under and brought for- 

 ward, and the ovipositor is seized on its convex edge by the 

 mandibles and maxillae, which, with the aid of the palpi, 

 guide the point to that portion of the leaf prepared to receive 

 it. After gentle, but repeated efforts, the point of the in- 

 strument is finally inserted between the tissues of the leaf, 

 and gradually pushed in to more than half its length. As 

 soon as the cavity is formed, the tgg is extruded, and passed 

 slowd}' between the semi-transparent blades of the ovipos- 

 itor. As the egg leaves the ovipositor the latter is gradually 

 withdrawn, while the egg remains in the leaf, retained in its 

 place probabK^ by a viscid fluid that is exuded with it. As 

 many as five of the eggs are sometimes deposited in one row 

 in the same leaf, but more often they are single." 



Scudderia angustifolia Harris. 



THE NARROW-WINGED KATYDID. 



In size, general appearance and structure of anal spines 

 of male it is ver\' similar to furcata, but may readily be 

 known by its short posterior femora, and b^' its narrower 

 w^ing-covers. 



