NO. 1124. REVISION OF THE MELANOPLISCrDDER. 3' 1 7 



Morrison (IJ.S.N.M. Riley collection); North Pacific Railroad sur- 

 vey, George Suckley; upper Missouri River, Hayden; head waters of 

 Missouri and Yellowstone, Hayden; Medicine Hat, Assiniboia, Canada, 

 (U.S.N.M. Riley collection); Fort McLeod, Alberta, Canada (same); 

 various localities on the Yakima River, Washington (Museum Com- 

 parative Zoology); Loon Lake, Colville Valley, Washington, July 25 

 (same); Spokane, Washington, July 21-22 (same); Puget Sound, C. P>. 

 Kennedy. 



It has also been reported from Tennessee and Mississippi (Thomas), 

 Nevada (Riley), Idaho (Thomas, Millikeu), Souris River, Alberta, Can- 

 ada (Scudder), Grand Rapids, NW. T. (Nutting), and Victoria (Fletcher) ; 

 also, possibly, from Mexico (Saussure). It therefore probably ranges 

 from southern Canada to the Gulf, but is unknown along the Atlantic 

 Seaboard, and wholly unreported from the Pacific Slope south of Wash- 

 ington, (unless, as above, in Mexico) and it hardly ranges as far north 

 as M.femoratm. 



Brunei* in one of his accounts of this species says it is "a lover of 

 rank and succulent vegetation, such as is found upon bottom lands, 

 along the edges of cultivated fields, at the margins of woodlands and 

 on the shaded mountain slopes." When "it develops in large num- 

 bers, then these haunts are forsaken, to a greater or less extent, and it 

 spreads over cultivated fields, eating the choicest of everything." In 

 Iowa, Mr. J, A. Allen found it common on dry prairies, as well as in 

 moist sloughs on tall grass. 



It seldom develops any marked migratory propensity and its egg- 

 laying habits " differ considerably from those of the smaller migratory 

 species, insomuch as but one or two clusters or pods are deposited by 

 a single female. Nevertheless, just as many eggs are laid by each 

 female insect. These eggs are deposited in prairie sod or any compact 

 soil in the vicinity of the regular haunts or feeding places. Old roads 

 and closely cropped pastures, when located handily, are favorite resorts 

 for the heavily laden females when attending to this mission of theirs." 

 (Bruner.) 



Its destructiveness appears to be mainly confined to grass, grain, 

 and garden vegetables. It appears in the winged state the last of 

 June or early in July, but eggs are not laid until late in August; 

 sixty-two to seventy-two eggs have been counted in the egg pods by 

 Donald Gunn in Manitoba. 



Blatchley has taken the male of this species in coitu with 3f. femo- 

 ratus, and considers them the same species, as do many others. The 

 range of the two species, which are certainly very closely allied, differs 

 to a considerable extent, though both are found over a large extent of 

 territory side by side; one is a seaboard and northern form, the other 

 an interior species. Besides the differences in the hind tibiae, which 

 rarely cause hesitation in attempting to separate them, there are slight 

 'differences which I have attempted to state, in the abdominal append 



