28 



In the sketch of the elytron of Staiirodeni>i bicolor the a,vvajngement 

 of the nei'vures and areas between them are named. The hindwing 

 is of less importance for distinguishing the species. 



British Species of Acridiohea. 



A. Pronotum not extending beyond thorax ; a pad between 

 the tarsal claws. 

 (a) Foveolffi of vertex almost absent ; species large . . 21. (jrossus. 



(h) Foveohe of vertex well marked; species smaller, 

 (i.) Antenn.'E not clubbed. 



1. Tooth at base of ovipositor ; large discoidal 



area, with regular reticulation . . . . S. lineatus. 



2. No tooth at base ; irregalar reticulation in a 



smaller discoidal area. 



(()) Narrow undilated mediastinal area, 

 extending far beyond middle of 

 elytron, 

 (i.) Greenish ; palpi unicolorous 0. viridulas. 

 (ii.) Partly ruddy ; palpi white at 



tip . . . . . . . . O. riitijics. 



(b) Shorter mediastinal area, dilated at 

 base 



(i.) Lateral ridges of pronotum 



sharply angled . . . . .S'. hicolor. 



(ii.) Lateral ridges nearly straight 

 (o) Elytra and wings 



developed . . . . C. elcgaus. 



(j3) Wings aborted in male 

 and female ; elytra 

 aborted in female . . C. parallelus. 

 (ii.) Antennae clubbed. 



1. Colour somewhat uniform brown; medias- 



tinal area dilated at base; clubs pronounced, 



whitish at tip . . . . . . . . . . G. rufiis. 



2. Smaller ; spotted and varying ; mediastinal 



area undilated ; clubs less pronounced, 



concolorous .. .. .. .. .. G. maciilatus. 



B. Pronotum covering abdomen ; pad between tarsal claws ; 

 species very small, 

 (a) Stout; pronotum extending to hind knees; ridge 



elevated; sometimes two black spots. . .. .. T. hipunctatus. 



(h) More slender ; pronotum extending well beyond hind 



knees ; ridge less pronounced . . . . . . . . T. siihnlatus. 



Mecostethus grossus. — -First on the list of British Acridians, as 

 well as first in size and richness of colouring, comes the large Bog 

 Grasshopper, Mecostct/iKs ;/ross)(s, Linn. It is the sole species of the 

 genus and in suitable places is to some extent common over the 

 northern part of Europe as far as Lapland. 



In Britain some twenty years since it was considered to be one 

 of the rarest of the grasshoppers. Eland Shaw in 1889 knew of 

 but two modern records — one specimen from the Norfolk Fens, and 

 one from County Kerry. There are, however, several earlier 

 records {vith "Entomologist," 1899, p. 169). In 1892 a male 

 was taken at Irstead in Norfolk. In 1895 the species occurred in 

 abundance in the West of Ireland, and the same year Mr. B. (}. Rye 



