268 , THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



Grylli with straight wings, having long setaceous antennae, 

 are generally called grasshoppers ; and those with short stout 

 antennas, locusts ; those whose wings are flat on the back, 

 and lap over each other, are called crickets. None of the 

 species are usually seen in the perfect state much before this 

 season : those which are met with, among the herbage, are 

 in the earlier stages. This field locust is a clumsy, thick 

 species, and its motions are rather heavy. It is extremely 

 numerous in our grass fields, and probably the aggregated 

 individuals in one field consume no small quantity of herb- 

 age. In ploughing round a triangular piece of green sward, 

 I have been amused, as I gradually drew near the end, to 

 observe the hosts of these field locusts crowded together on 

 the constantly diminishing little spot of grass in the centre. 

 They would not stay on the furrow, but continually re- 

 tired before the plough among the grass ; which, growing 

 less and less at every furrow, caused the inhabitants of the 

 whole field gradually to collect in this little oasis in the earthy 

 desert, where they kicked, and sprawled, and leaped, like 

 fishes in a net, until the inexorable ploughshare at length 

 turned over their last fragment of turf, and obliged them to 

 seek a new home. 



C. On the road to Compton, I have noticed a large 

 locust, with dusky elytra, and bright yellow wings with a 

 black border; it was very watchful, not permitting me to 

 approach it, till after many trials and much manoeuvring. 

 It flies short distances, and often remains stationary on the 

 wing over a particular spot ; and while on the wing, makes 

 a noise exactly like that of a watchman's rattle in minia- 

 ture. 



F. I know it well, and call it the Rattling Locust. 

 ((Edipoda Sulphurea ? ) It is singular to observe the pre- 

 dilection which some insects have for particular places. A 

 spot on the road to the village, at the foot of a hill, a little 



