HUNTERS OF LARGE ORTHOPTERA 175 



it must have been instantaneous. Finally the male flew away 

 permanently and the female remained on the same plant, 

 apparently waiting for him to return. Our approach caused 

 her to seek another plant, where she assumed the same 

 position. We watched her for some time, but no suitors 

 appeared. 



Prionanyx thomae Fabr. [S. A. Rohwer]. 



In a vacant lot adjoining the brick-yard, where the ground 

 was well covered with cinders, we saw this red-bellied 

 Priononyx nervously walking about at 4: 35 p. m. on July 

 14. From her manner, we at once suspected that she was 

 looking for a nesting-site. One may imagine the difficulties 

 which confronted a little creature trying to dig her hole in 

 a surface-soil composed largely of cinders ; one would hardly 

 think of trying to dig in such material with a pocket-knife. 



She already had her grasshopper, a Dissosteira Carolina 

 Linn., which was in its last nymphal instar. Twice while 

 hunting for a location, she returned to her hopper to see if 

 it was safe. On each visit, she straddled it and carried it a 

 short distance, then wandered away again looking for a site. 

 In two places she seriously attempted to dig, but abandoned 

 the spot on account of the bad cinders. Both of these were 

 at so great a distance from the place where she had left her 

 hopper that we doubted whether, if she remained there, she 

 could ever find and fetch it. 



Her third and successful attempt was begun in the rough 

 cinders somewhat nearer to where her hopper lay, but still 

 at a distance of about fifteen feet. The cinders were harsh 

 and heavy, and how she tugged at big lumps in getting them 

 out of the hole! We often thought that if the rough cin- 

 ders hurt her legs as much as they did our hands and knees 



