12 



Ortboptera are first divided into two tribes, Ortboptera genuina and 

 Harmoptera (Forficularije). The Ortboptera proper are again 

 divided into two sections, Sternopoda (Blattaria;) and Pleuropoda. 

 Tbe latter are subdivided into Gressoria, — families Mantodea and 

 Pbasmodea, Saltatoria, — families Acridiodea, Locustina and Gryl- 

 lodea, and Fossoria, — families Gryllotalpina and Xyodea. 



H. Fischer of Freiberg, in bis Ortboptera Europtea, published in 

 1853, has exactly reversed Westwood's divisions,^ and united the 

 Mantides and Pbasmodea mider Fieber's name of Gressoria. 



Lastly, Gerstajckcr, in the second volume of Carus' Handbucb der 

 Zoologie, published in 1863, divides the Ortboptera genuina, from 

 which be excludes the Dermatoptera (Forficularise) , into three pri- 

 mary divisions, Cursoria, — including tbe family Blattina, Gressoria, — 

 including tbe families Mantodea and Pbasmodea, and Saltatoria, — 

 including tbe fiimilies Gryllodea, Locustina and Acridiodea. Tbe 

 Dermatoptera be places below them. 



Without attempting to discuss whether tbe Pseudo-Neuroptera 

 should be admitted into tbe ranks of tbe Ortboptera, or to prove that 

 the Forficularia3 should not be considered a separate gi'oup equal in 

 value to the other Ortboptera as a whole, I will simply point out the 

 way in which these families seem to me to arrange themselves. Having 

 placed tbe saltatorial group above tbe non-saltatorial, a much more 

 difficult question ai-Ises in determining the order of the three saltato- 

 rial families; I am, however, strongly inclined to place the Gryllides 

 and LocustariaB above tbe Acrydii, on account of tbe specialization 

 of tbe organs for ovipositing in the females, and tbe more perfected 

 structure and higher character of the organs of stridulation in the 

 males. Tbe intimate relation of these two families to each other, 

 both in the features alluded to, and in tbe close resemblance of such 

 allied forms as Phalangopsis and Rhaphidopliora, shows that the 

 Acrydii cannot be placed between them, and tbe only remaining 

 question is the relative position of the Gryllides and Locustariae. 

 Dufour has shown how similar the internal anatomy of Xya is to that 

 of many Acrydii, but this is an exceptional case among Gryllides, 

 and should not be allowed too great weight; on tbe other hand, the 

 great variety of form of almost any given organ among tbe crickets, 

 compared with its relative uniformity of structure among Locustarias, 

 seem.s to indicate the higher character of the former. And I do not 



1 In my remarks in the previous volume of these Proceedings, p. 390, 1 had over- 

 looked Fischer's statement, that the table given by him was to b? considered a 

 tUsposilio ascendens. 



