27 



In some cases the eggs are elongated, slightly curved cylinders 

 with rounded ends, but how far this is general in the group I 

 cannot say. The female, with the valvular processes at the 

 extremity of her abdomen, excavates a hole in the soil and there 

 places the eggs, providing them at the same time with a protective 

 covering, which gives a hint of the relationship of the Acridiodea 

 to the Blattodea, which latter place their eggs in a hornj' case. 

 After hatching there are some half-dozen moults, the wings 

 gradually developing as the insects grow to their full size. There 

 is, in fact, but little post-embryonic development, a true pupal stage 

 being absent, the insects being nymphs from the time of hatching 

 till they reach maturity. 



Food appears to be in general of a vegetable nature. Most of our 

 species eat grass, holding on to a blade with their legs and biting 

 -downwards along its edge. The Tetrigidje, however, are not unlike 

 earthworms in the nature of their food. They seldom browse off 

 higher plants, confining their attention to lichens, mosses and the 

 surface soil, which contains different forms of low plant-life. 



To everyone the "song" of the grasshopper is familiar, and every 

 naturalist will appreciate the words of the poet Keats who says: — 



" \Yhen all the birds are faint with the hot sun, 

 And hide in cooling trees, a voice will run 

 From hedge to hedge about the new-mown mead ; 

 It is the grasshopper's ..." 



The chirp is produced by the rubbing together of the outer surface 

 of the elytron and the inner surface of the hind femur. A series of 

 small teeth on the latter scrape against a projecting vein on the 

 former, and thus produce the sound, as may easily be tested experi- 

 mentally with a recently killed insect. 



There is often some considerable difficulty in distinguishing 

 neighbouring species of the Acridiodea. Owing to their great 

 capacity for assimilating their colouring to that of their environ- 

 ment they are subject to great variety in coloration. Hence 

 colour must be but little relied on for distinguishing species. For 

 purposes of classification the following are some of the points that 

 need attention, and it is chiefly on these that the accompanying 

 identification table has been founded : — 



1. The presence or absence of a pad between the tarsal claws. 



2. The foveolfe of the vertex — little triangular or quadrangular 

 depressions on each side of the top of the head. 



3. The tip of the antenniie. 



4. The colour of the palpi. 



5. The distal part of the pronotum. 



6. The three longitudinal ridges of the pronotum. 



7. The presence or absence of a tooth at the base of the ovipositor. 



8. The mediastinal and discoidal area of the elytron. 



9. The amount of development of the organs of flight in the 

 imago. 



