53 



tions, for we find it in such places as Kingston-on-Thames, Surbiton, 

 Westwood's Garden in Oxford, Kew Gardens, Hyde Park, etc. No 

 doubt where it occurs it is often plentiful; but as it lives in trees 

 and, being without stridulating organs, is silent, it usually remains 

 unnoticed. " Beating " is the best method to employ for its 

 capture ; but it may often be obtained from the lepidopterist's 

 sugar- patch, and in the autumn the females may be captured while 

 ovipositing. 



Conocephalus dorsalis"', Latr. As with the last two species 

 this is the only British representative of the family to which it 

 belongs. It is far the most delicate in structure of all our grass- 

 hoppers. Its antennae are very long, but its wings and elytra are 

 abbreviated. In colour it is a pale green except along the dorsal 

 surface, which is crimson-brown ; its elytra are pale purplish-brown. 

 An interesting male example was taken in August, 1899, by Mr. W. 

 H. Harwood near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex (another being set free) 

 in which the alar organs were fully developed and used for flight. 

 Apparently this is the only record of macropterous conditions in 

 this species. C. dorsalis is a water-loving insect, being found on 

 marshy or boggy ground, and on the banks of streams. It is very 

 lively and skilful in hiding on blades of grass by stretching out its 

 long legs in a line with its body, as some long-legged spiders do. 

 If much disturbed it goes down to the roots of the grass and is 

 then not easily recovered. It may, perhaps, be secured by sweeping, 

 but I have found collecting by hand more satisfactory. In captivity 

 apparently it may sometimes turn cannibal. 



In Europe C. dorsalis appears to be somewhat northern in its 

 range and is not very common. In Britain it is local, though 

 owing to its choice of habitat it may be more common than is 

 supposed. The only localities recorded are in southern and eastern 

 and a few neighbouring counties : there are no records for Wales, 

 Scotland, or Ireland. We have : — South Devon (Pordtt) ; Dorset, 

 near Studland (W.J.L.) ; Hants, New Forest and Hengistbury 

 Head (W.J.L.) ; Isle of Wiijht (Burr) ; Sussex, Guestling (E. N. 

 Bloomtield) and Pagham Marsh (H. Guermonprez) ; Surrey, near 

 Witley, 1910 (J. G. Dalgleish) ; Kent, Deal (Porritt) ; Sheppey 

 (J. R. ie B. Tomlin) ; Blean Wood (A. J. Chitty) ; and near Eastry 

 (Burr) ; Essex, North Coast (A. S. Harwood), Walton-on-the-Naze 

 (J. W. Yerbury) ; Suffolk, a number of localities chiefly due to 

 C. Morley ; ]Sorfolk, Horning and Ranworth (J. Edwards) ; Sutton 

 (F. B. Browne) ; Broads (Porritt) ; Cambridge, Chippenham and 

 Wicken Fens (Porritt). 



Phasgonura yiridissima, Linn. — (The Great Green Grass- 

 hopper). There can be but few entomologists who have not met 

 with this, the largest but one of our locustids. Its colour is bright 

 green, but with a greater or less amount of ochreous-brown on the 



* Both sexes are figured in " Entomologist," vol. xxxii., 1899, p. 289. 



