106 ORTHOPTERA. 



the attacks of its enemies in this way.^ The word 

 "slow" is hardly expressive enough to describe the 

 motions of this insect, and as slow- moving animals are 

 more apt to be caught by birds and other voracious 

 creatures the walking-stick has added to its chances 

 of escape by a habit it has of remaining motionless 

 and apparently dead for a considerable length of time. 

 The head (Fig. 57, ^) is bent at a slight angle of 

 the body. The prothorax (Fig. 57, b^) is small, and 

 at first sight it seems surprising that it should carry 

 such a pair of well-developed legs ; these legs, how- 

 ever, are weak locomotive organs. The mesothorax 

 (/;") and metathorax (<!^"') are long and unconsoli- 

 dated, and this fact correlates with the absence of 

 wings. The eyes are small, but the antennae are ex- 

 tremely long. The mouth parts are used for biting 

 vegetable substances. The three pairs of legs are 

 slender, and adapted in general for slow movements 

 as stated above. The insects will, however, on occa- 

 sion, run so fast that it is hard to catch them, though 

 not by any means so fast as a cockroach. The feet 

 have the pulvillus and claws of the locusts. 



GRYLLID.'E. 



The crickets have shortened, rounded, and green, 

 brown, or black bodies. In Gryllus (PI. IV., Fig. 58) 

 the head is at right angles to the body. The pro- 

 thorax {J^) resembles that of the locust, but does not 



1 The interesting subject of protective imitation, so admira- 

 bly illustrated by the Phasmidoe, is considered under the head of 

 the " Origin and Uses of Colour in Animals," by Wallace in his 

 work on Dat'ivinism, 1889, Chaps. VHI.-XI. 



