NO. 1530. THE DECTICIN.E OF NORTH AMERICA— CA UDELL. 359 



ever, they are able to endure with little fatality. Thej'oung are thus 

 described by Gillette from living specimens. 



When first hatched, the crickets are a light flesh color throughout, except the black 

 eyes, but soon become (juite black, with abroad, flesh-colored stripe the entire length 

 of the back. Along the middle of this light dorsal stripe are two black lines sep- 

 arated by a narrow line of the flesh color. The hind margin of the cape, or prono- 

 tum, immediately above the front pair of legs, is very conspicuously light yellow, 

 almost white. Antennae somewhat longer than the body, and black. 



The legs of the young nj-mphs are longer in proportion than in the 

 adult forms, though Gillette does not mention this peculiarity in the 

 above quoted description. The posterior femora of the young are 

 more than two times as long as the pronotum, which is never the case 

 in the adult form. 



The adult males chir]) in the morning hours, ceasingabout 10 o'clock, 

 except when disturbed by something, when they make a sharper note 

 of warning, causing those in the vicinity to hop in various directions. 

 Activity ceases at night, the insects usually retiring to rest beneath or 

 in bushes. In 1879, Thomas stated that their activity is greater at 

 night, but more recent observers say otherwise, 1 found the alpine 

 form, coloradus^ stridulating in the middle of the day, as 1 also observed 

 the prairie form to do. 



The food of this insect is varied. They will eat sage brush, but 

 seem to prefer more succulent food, either wild or cultivated. Field 

 grain and grasses, potatoes, and most garden truck are greedily devoured 

 by them. Peas and timothy are said to be but little favored l^y them 

 as articles of diet. They are not confined to a vegetable diet, being, in 

 fact, rather partial to animal matter, especially disabled members of 

 their own kind. Gruesome, indeed, are the feasts often held by these 

 cannibals oil' an unfortunate brother or sister. Spent females, weak- 

 ened by exertion of oviposition, often furnish a luxurious repast for 

 other stronger individuals. Their cannibalistic habits are probably 

 similar to those of IWanahru^'.smJr/'icollis, a discussion of which appears 

 under that species. Flesh of any kind is acceptable to the Anahfut<^ 

 dead snakes being eaten as readily as cooked fish. Worms and various 

 insects are eaten by them, and they have been observed to climb bushes 

 to feed upon the cicadas, which they grasp b}' the wings. They are 

 also fond of fresh horse manure, and also eat cow dung. In fact, they 

 will eat nearly anything, and, as stated by Gillette, an insect with such 

 food habits is not likely to die very soon of starvation. 



While the Anahrus eats nearly anything that comes in its way, it is 

 not itself exempt from being eaten. They are supposed to have at 

 one time formed an article of diet among the Indians of the valley of 

 the Great Salt Lake. The}' were eaten cooked or raw, with no other 

 preparation than the removal of the head and legs. There are a 

 number of natural enemies that prey on the A)i((hru><. Among animals 

 seen eating them ma}^ be mentioned the bear and the wolf, and the 



