1113 



GRYLLOTALPA. 



GUACHARO BIRD. 



im 



and when not in use are folded longitudinally ; the females are 

 furnished with a long ovipositor. 



Gryllui domeaticua (Linn.), the Common House-Cricket, affords an 

 example of this genus. This insect is about three-quarters of an inch 

 in length, and of a pale-brown colour, with blackish markings on the 

 head and thorax. It is found throughout Europe ; frequents houses, 

 and prefers the vicinity of the fire. The male makes a shrill noise, 

 which is caused by the friction of the elytra against each other. 

 These insects are of nocturnal habits, take to the wing readily, and 

 can leap a considerable distance. The wingless specimens are the 

 larvae, and those which have only rudimentary wings are the pupte. 



There is another species which i tolerably common in some parts 

 of England and in various parts of the continent the Field-Cricket, 

 or Grasshopper (G. campettria, Linn.). This insect is of a larger size 

 than the house-cricket, and of a black colour ; the inner side of the 

 hinder thighs is red, and the elytra are brown, with a yellowish band at 

 the base. The field-cricket generally frequents dry sandy districts ; 

 it burrows in the ground and preys upon other insects. The female is 

 said to lay about 300 eggs. G. riridiuimui is the Common great 

 Green Grasshopper. [LocusTA.] 



The species of the genus GryUotcdpo, are remarkable for the large 

 size of the anterior pair of legs and their fitness for burrowing ; these 

 legs are very broad, and flattened, notched beneath at the extremity, 

 and bear a great resemblance to the fore feet of the inole hence the 

 name of Mole-Cricket has been applied to them. 



i/ototpa vulyaru (Lat.), the Mole-Cricket, is common in some parts 

 of England, but appears to confine itself to particular districts. It 

 is upwards of 2 inches in length and of a brown colour ; the legs are 

 yellowish. This insect excavates subterranean galleries of consider- 

 able extent, and in so doing throws up small mounds of earth, after 

 the manner of its prototype, among the Mammalia. It is said to do 

 much mischief in gardens and plantations by injuring the roots of 

 plants. As yet it is doubtful whether these insects prey upon worms 

 or other insects, or whether they feed upon roots. Latreille 

 supposes the former to be the case. We understand that the Duke 

 of Devonshire's grounds at Chiswick are much infested by this insect. 



In Tridactylus the antenna; are short and 10-jointed; the tarsi are 

 3-jointed ; the females have no distinct ovipositor, but the apex of 

 the abdomen is furnished with four small appendages, of which the 

 two upper are 2-jointed. In lieu of tarsi to the posterior legs there 

 are some small moveable hooked appendages (three in the typical 

 species) ; the elytra are shorter than the abdomen, and of a triangular 

 form ; the wings exceed the elytra in length. 



The small insects belonging to this genus are highly interesting, not 

 only on account of their peculiar structure, but also in their habits. 

 The species as yet discovered are very limited in number, and have 

 been found only in the south- of Europe and in North Africa ; they 

 invariably live near the margins of rivers, lakes, or other pieces of 

 water, and it appears essential that the soil should be damp and consist 

 of fine sand. In this sand they burrow, first vertically to the depth 

 of a few inches, and then they form numerous small horizontal 

 galleries. In the construction of these galleries they are probably in 

 search of food. Sand at eaten and voided by these insects, and it is 

 supposed that they receive their nutriment from the minute animal- 

 cula; left in the sand by the retiring water. For a detailed account 

 of the habits of these insects see ' Histoire Naturelle des Insectes," by 

 Messrs. Audouin and Brulld, torn ix. p. 192. 



The genus Repipteryx of Mr. Newman (' Entomological Magazine,' 

 voL ii. p. 204) is closely allied to the last-mentioned insects. The 

 species upon which that entomologist founded the genus is from Para 

 in South America. 



In the family Gryllidce are also included the genera jEcanthus, 

 Phalangopii, Platytlactylm, Spluerium, and Cylindrodes. The species 

 upon which the last mentioned genus is founded is figured in Griffith's 

 Cuvier's 'Animal Kingdom Insects,' vol. ii. pi. 131. It is remark- 

 able for its slender and cylindrical form, but in many respects 

 approaches the genus Gryllotalpa. 



GRYLLOTALPA. [GBYLUDJE.] 



GRYLLUS. [GRYLLID*:.] 



GRYPHjfiA, a genus of Conchifera monomyaria (Lam.) closely 

 allied to the oyster, and very abundant in the secondary strata of 

 Europe from the Lias upwards to the Chalk, but scarcely known in 

 tertiary strata. [OSTKACEA.] 



GRYS-BOC. [ANTILOPE^.] 



GUACHA'RO BIRD (Stealornis, Humboldt; Podarrjus, Guv., 

 Temm.), a Bird which has been confounded with Podaryus, but which, 

 according to the account of its food and habits by Humboldt, and to 

 the opinion of some ornithologists, may be considered a genus distinct 

 from the true Podargi. It has the following generic characters : 

 Bill hard, horny, much wider than it is high, nearly equalling the 

 head in length ; upper mandible strongly bent downwards into a rather 

 sharp hook, and armed near its middle with two small teeth. Nostrils 

 linear, longitudinal, nearly closed by a plate placed half-way down the 

 mandible; lower mandible rather slender, dilated at its base; gape 

 considerable, and extending to the posterior part of the eye ; base of 

 the bill furnished with stiff hairs directed forwards. Feet short, 

 weak, with four toes separated up to their base ; claws arched and 

 weak, not dentilated. Fourth quill longest. (Humboldt.) 



Steatorms Caripensis, (Humb.), the Guacharo Bird, is the type of 

 the genus. It is the size of a common fowl; plumage sombre 

 brownish-gray, mixed with small striae and black dots ; large white 

 heart-shaped spots bordered with black on the plumage of the head 

 and on the wing- and . tail-feathers. The plumage of the back is 

 without spots. Tail wedge-shaped 



Guachavo Bird (Steatornia Caripensis 



Baron Alexander de Humboldt, in his ' Personal Narrative,' gives 

 a lively description of the locality and habits of this remarkable and 

 useful bird, and we shall endeavour to select the chief points of his 

 account. 



The cueva, or cavern, of the Guacharo, and the coolness of the 

 climate, give celebrity to the valley of Caripe. The people love the 

 marvellous, and are never tired of discussing the subject of a cavern 

 that givesbirth to a river and is haunted by thousands of nocturnal 

 birds, whose fat is employed in the Missiones for culinary purposes. 

 The traveller on his arrival at Cumaua soon hears of the stone of 

 Araya for the eyes of the labourer of Arenas who gave suck to his 

 infant and of the cavern of Guacharo, said to be several leagues in 

 length even to weariness. The cavern, called by the natives ' a mine 

 of fat,' is not situated actually in the valley of Caripe, but at the 

 distance of three short leagues from the convent, towards the west- 

 south-west, and it opens into a lateral valley terminated by the Sierra 

 del Guacharo. Humboldt and his party, accompanied by the alcaids, 

 or Indian magistrates, and the greater part of the monks of the 

 convent, set out for the Sierra on the 18th of September; and they 

 at first traversed for an hour and a half a narrow path towards the 

 south, across a plain covered with beautiful turf. They then turned 

 westward, tracing up a small river which issues from the cavern. 

 The ascent continued for three-quarters of an hour, during which 

 they went sometimes in the shallow water and sometimes between 

 the torrent and a rocky wall, on a very miry and slippery soil. This 

 part of the road, with its incumbrauces of falling earth, scattered 

 trunks of trees, over which the mules could hardly pass, and a pro- 

 fusion of creeping plants that covered the ground, was very fatiguing. 

 When they arrived at the foot of the lofty mountain of Guacharo 

 they were only 400 paces from the cavern, without yet perceiving the 

 entrance. The torrent runs in a hollow excavated by the waters : 

 and they went on under a ledge, or cornice, the projection of which 

 prevented them from seeing the sky. The path winds like the river, 

 and at the last turning they suddenly stood before the immense 

 opening of the cave. Humboldt, who had already been familiar with 

 caverns, confesses that the reality far exceeded his expectations. 



The Cueva del Guacharo is pierced in the vertical profile of a rock, 

 and the entrance is towards the south, forming a vault 80 feet broad 

 and 72 feet high an elevation but a fifth less than that of the Louvre. 

 The rock surmounting the cavern was covered with trees of gigantic 

 height, and all the luxuriant profusion of an intertropical vegetation. 

 Our space prevents an enumeration of the beautiful and curious plants, 

 among which the Orc/iidaceee are not forgotten, recorded by the Baron, 

 and dwelt on by him with a pardonable rapture ; but it is worthy of 

 observation, that this luxuriance penetrated even into the vestibule 

 of the cave. The travellers saw with astonishment plaintain-leaved 

 Heliconias 18 feet in height, the Praga Palm, and Tree Arums, follow 

 the banks of the river even to the subterranean places. There the 

 vegetation continues, as in the deep crevices of the Andes, half shut 

 out from the light of day, nor does it disappear till a distance of 30 or 

 40 paces from the entrance. The party *vent forward for about 

 430 feet without being obliged to light their torches. Where the 

 light began to fail, they heard from afar the hoarse cries of the 

 Guacharo Birds. These birds quit the cavern only at nightfall, 

 especially when there is moonlight ; and Humboldt remarks that it 

 is almost the only frugivorous nocturnal bird yet known. It feeds 

 on very hard fruits, and the Indians assured Ij^m that it doea not 



