Courtslii]) of certain Euroi^ean Acridiidw. 245 



order in which the male went through the various phases 

 of courtship. It is probable that the order varied greatly, 

 and that some of the phases were often omitted. 



September 2. — On this and many other occasions the 

 males were often seen to leave the female they were 

 pursuing and, apparently without knowing it, to follow 

 some other female they accidentally came upon in the 

 course of the pui'suit. A male pursuing a female was 

 once seen to approach and jump at the male of Pezo- 

 tettix, having apparently mistaken it for the female. 



September o. — On the grassy slopes below the Bella 

 Tola, a male observed by F. Jenkinson and me was 

 greatly excited by the pair of Pezotettix already described 

 as attempting, but unable to copulate. He stood in the 

 characteristic attitude, walked round them, and finally 

 stood in front and stridulated for the usual length of 

 time and with the usual ending, he then advanced as if 

 to jump, but before doing so became satisfied that he had 

 made a mistake, and walked awa}'. It was evident that 

 he had mistaken the pair for the female of his own species. 

 Just below the zigzags up the Bella Tola we saw a 

 male which, standing by a female, repeated the stridula- 

 tion four times with the usual conclusion on each occasion, 

 and then after all this attention let her walk away unper- 

 ceived. This and the other facts already described seem 

 to show that the males were very unobservant. In this 

 respect their behaviour was very different fVora that of 

 Pezotettix, and from the very alert member of their own 

 species observed on August 30. 



No light was thrown upon the function of the remark- 

 able dilated tibite of the first legs of the male. The 

 whole tibia, swollen into the shape of a pear, with the 

 tarsus articulated to its broader end, presented a most 

 curious appearance in the characteristic attitudes assumed 

 during courtship. On the underside of this dilated mass, 

 which is approximately circular in transverse section, two 

 rows of hairs are seen. Although the hairs are smaller, 

 and the rows more widely separated, both evidently cor- 

 respond to those which are found beneath the unmodified 

 tibiiB of the other legs. 



Although we observed the habits of this species on 

 many other occasions, neither F. Jenkinson nor I had 

 ever seen the pairing accomplished. I therefore asked 

 Mr. F. V. Dickins if he would consent to watch throug^h 



