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Papers, etc., read. 



Prof. Poulton read a paper entitled " On the Courtship of 

 certain European Acridiidai." The author said that these 

 observations upon the courtship of Swiss Acridiidte were 

 made in the exceedingly favourable weather at the end of 

 August and beginning of September last year ; and that he 

 was much indebted to Mr. F. Jenkinson, of Cambridge, and 

 Mr. F. V. Dickins for many independent observations and 

 valuable confirmation. The observations were almost all 

 made in the neighbourhood of the Weisshorn Hotel, high 

 above Vissoye, in the Val d'Anniviers. Prof. Poulton stated 

 that Dr. Sharp had been kind enough to name the species 

 referred to in the paper. The sombre brown male of 

 Fezotetti.v peih'stri.v did not stridulate audibly and assumed no 

 remarkable attitudes, but lay in wait for the female and leaped 

 upon her unawares. The female almost invariably tried to 

 escape from the male, but if he succeeded in holding her for 

 a short time she submitted, and pairing took place. Before 

 pairing the male was seen to nibble the female gently with his 

 mandibles, and during the whole time that he was holding the 

 female, both before and during pairing, the male continually 

 moved his third legs up and down alternately. It was 

 suggested that this movement may be a vestige of true 

 stridulation, and that it may still perhaps be of value in 

 influencing the female in some way. It was frequently 

 observed that the females, although carrying males, and 

 in some cases pairing, were extremely indifferent, hopping 

 about, eating freely, and defalcating. By keeping very 

 still it was possible to observe this and other species within 

 a distance of six or eight inches without disturbing them. 

 In strong contrast to Pezotcttic was the behaviour of 

 Gomphocerus sibiricus var. The males of this species courted 

 the females with much ceremony, raising themselves in a 

 very remarkable attitude, stretching out their four palpi, 

 stridulating, and in some cases patting or stroking the female 

 with their legs or perhaps antennae. In spite of this a success- 

 ful termination to courtship was never seen, although the 

 males were continually pursuing the females. Although both 



