FAMILY VII.— GRYLLIDyl:;. 2(51 



A. Hind tibiae furnished with long, mobile, pilose spines; 

 first joint of hind tarsi unarmed above or with one 



row of serrations Nemobius. 



AA. Hind tibicE armed with strong fixed spines; first joint 

 of hind tarsi sulcate, with two rows of serrations. 



Gryllus. 

 Most crickets, if not having a home in cracks, in walls, 

 or below stones, make burrows in the ground in which they 

 live. The eggs are laid in the autumn, and usually in the 

 ground, after which the greater number of the old crickets 

 die; a few survive, however. The eggs hatch quite early in 

 the spring. The insects are omnivorous, feeding upon all 

 kinds of decaying matter as well as upon living plants, hence 

 must be classed among the injurious insects; thc}^ eat also 

 many insects, and freshly dropped cow dung seems to be es- 

 pecially attractive to them. Those crickets that make bur- 

 rows in the ground can become quite injurious by exposing 

 the roots of plants to the dr^^ing influence of the air. 



GENUS Nemobius Serville. 



Small sized species. Head and thorax with compara- 

 tively long hairs; first and second joints of maxillary' palpi 

 minute, third and fifth joints of about equal length, fourth 

 joint smaller. The venation of the wing-covers of the female 

 differs from Gryllus, the veins running longitudinally, while 

 in Gryllus the}' run obliquely from both sides, thus forming 

 lozenge-shaped spaces between. Hind tibiae with longspines 

 of unequal length. Ovipositor straight, longer or shorter 

 than the abdomen. 



Nemobius fasciatus DeGeer. 



SMALL STRIPED GROUND-CRICKET. 



Dusky brown to almost piceous, with head and thorax 

 hairy; the wing-covers and legs sometimes paler. On the 

 head are four black longitudinal stripes, which are only 



