The South Australian Naturalist. 85 



vation, I found the most pugnacious among the brown species. 

 Often in the morning, when I have paid a visit to the cages, I 

 have found one or two of each kind lying on the sand, and the 

 mouth was brought so far under the thorax that the face was 

 almost touching also. Not knowing much of their habits at 

 this time, I thought they were dead. I instituted kindly in- 

 quiries by touching them on the back ; my interference was 

 soon resented-^they proved to be very much alive. Some 

 moved quickly for a hiding-place, others first made the rustling 

 noise to show their displeasure before making off. The brown 

 species do not take things so quietly ; on being touched as the 

 others were, they immediately unfurl the wings, hold high the 

 front legs, and the head, with open jaws, is kept well back, and 

 the abdomen shaken to produce the rustling sound. When 

 greeted in such a manner it is wise to withdraw. 



They always rest during the day, with the head bent so 

 far forward that the face faces the sand or whatever they are 

 resting on. They keep so still that this, and the position they 

 assume, make it hard to realise that they are really not dead. 

 Even now, though I am fairly well acquainted with their habits, 

 I have to touch them at times to assure myself that they have 

 not been killed during one of their frequent quarrels. 



The tree locusts feed only at night, and it is during this 

 time that they are most interesting to watch, and when some- 

 thing of their habits can be learned. Their energies are at 

 their height when mine begin to wane. The three cages are 

 placed on a table, a small lamp is put on the opposite side to 

 give necessary light. If the night is very warm they soon 

 begin to move about in search of food. A creature, looking 

 weird in the dull light, creeps forth from its hiding-place and 

 elim'bs on a piece of bark. It stops there for a short time, as if 

 uncertain in which direction to go ; then the long antennae, 

 Avhich are always carried over the back, are thrown forward and 

 are waved thoughtfully and carefully about, as if trying to dis- 

 cover in which direction the food lies. The long, sensitive 

 antennae seem helpful in finding food, for soon the insect moves 

 slowly toAvards the food and begins to eat. All the tree locusts 

 are extremely quarrelsome when feeding, and are very amusing 

 to watch. A pink locust settles down to his meal of green peas 

 and feeds greedily; another creeps from under the bark, and 

 with antennae placed forward comes in search of food. He 

 passes close by the feeding one, which rushes at him with raised 

 claws and open mouth ; wishing to avoid rough treatment, the 

 offending locust hurries over a piece of bark, and, unfortunately 



