ORDER III. STRAIGHT-WINGED INSECTS. 109 



al deficiency in entomological knowledge, that, numberless 

 though they be, still very few persons can say that they 

 have seen this handsome little insect. It dwells in trees 

 and shrubs, and usually conceals itself during the day un- 

 der the leaves. I have no doubt that many, if not all, have 

 accidentally met with it, but few except those acquainted 

 with entomology have observed it knowing it to be the fa- 

 mous Katydid ; and I have often been surprised, when de- 

 scribing this insect to persons of intelligence who have had 

 every opportunity of noticing it, to hear them say, " I have 

 never seen one." Its voice, however, has been heard by all, 

 and is very generally considered the harbinger of approach- 

 ing winter. 



Fig. 23 represents the male Katydid ; Fig. 24 the female, 

 with expanded wings. 



There are several other species in this country, all of a 

 more or less green color, and all belonging to the same fam- 

 ily; as, for instance, the Sword-bearer (Conocephalus en- 

 siger), with a conical head and a very long ovipositor ; the 

 Oblong leaf-winged Katydid (Phylloptera dblongifolia) ; the 

 Narrow-leaved Katydid (Phaneroptera angustifolia), and sev- 

 eral others. 



But the tropics furnish many other species, which bear a 

 still more striking resemblance to leaves; and from this 

 circumstance are accordingly named Laurel-leaf, Lily-leaf, 

 Myrtle-leaf, etc. 



This close resemblance has been the origin of many fab- 

 ulous accounts and marvelous stories, namely, that some 

 kinds of leaves are metamorphosed into insects, and living 

 insects are changed into dead leaves, etc., etc. 



A certain traveler, in a work on America published sev- 

 eral years ago, related the most absurd stories in regard to 

 these insects. He said that on this continent an animated 

 insect often changes itself into a lifeless plant by putting its 

 feet into the ground and allowing them to take root, when 



