242 Professor Edward B. Poulton on, the 



numbers of them lying in the path apparently 

 dead ; but after the sun had warmed them they all re- 

 covered. 



August 30. — At this date I had a good opportunity of 

 watching the habits of the males in the presence of a 

 female. About a mile from the hotel, along the upper 

 road to Zinal, at about 11 a.m., I came upon a spot which, 

 on account of its aspect and slope, had not long been 

 warmed by the sun, so that the insects were only just 

 beginning to bestir themselves. Here was a litde group of 

 this species — two males and a female — probably close to 

 the place in which they had passed the night. The female 

 was resting quietly on a small piece of rock, slightly 

 moving her abdomen, probably in relation to respiration. 

 Later on she drew each antenna beneath the first leg of 

 the same side, or perhaps drew the leg over the antenna. 

 It is probable that this movement is intended to wipe off 

 the dew. The males often did the same, and the female 

 rubbed its eye, probably for the same purpose. This 

 explanation is all the more probable because I did not 

 see these movements at any time when the heat of the sun 

 was sufficient to have dispersed the dew ; although tliu 

 species was carefully observed on many occasions. One 

 male, standing by the female, was stridulating when I came 

 up; the other was behind motionless. These three insects 

 vi^ere extremely shy, although this was by no means the 

 case at other times when individuals of this species were 

 watched in the heat of the day. Although I approached 

 so that my shadow was behind me, and very gently, the 

 male beside the female was alarmed at each slight rustle 

 or movement, raising himself on his legs and erecting 

 his antenna), apparently thoroughly on the alert. Then 

 when I kept perfectly still he resumed his former position 

 and depressed the antennas towards the female, both of 

 whose antennas were also generally depressed. He did 

 not continue to stridulate, but, after remaining almost 

 motionless for some ten minutes, except for cleaning his 

 antenna) now and then, tui'ned his back on the female and 

 apparently began eating the heather. In a few seconds 

 the other male stridulated once or twice : the effect on 

 the first male was instantaneous ; he stridulated for a 

 second or two and then walked back to the female, 

 depressed one antennas towards her and patted her on the 

 thorax with one of the first pair of legs. After all this 



