194 THE ACRIDIIDjE 



These limbs are very stout and articulated in such a manner that 

 they are thrown out from the sides of the prothorax in the most 

 convenient manner for digging, and the tibiae, which constitute the 

 actual digging parts, are flattened transversely to the axis of the 

 body, triangular in form, and terminated by four finger-like pro- 

 cesses. The Mole Cricket leads a more or less subterranean 

 existence, feeding upon worms and underground insects, and prob- 

 ably some vegetable substances. The male flies occasionally in 

 the evening twilight, and produces a dull, jarring note for its song, 

 somewhat like that of the goatsucker or fern owl. 



It is unfortunate that the term Locustidse should have been 

 applied to a group of insects that contains none of the Locusts 

 of ordinary parlance, and much confusion has resulted. As a 

 matter of fact, this family contains the Green Grasshoppers and 

 Katydids, insects which, as a rule, are more fragile than the Acri- 

 diida, or true Locusts and Grasshoppers, and they have very long, 

 slender antennas. The Great Green Grasshopper (Locusta viridis- 

 sima), to be found in the South of England, is a very hand- 

 some insect, which produces a shrill, monotonous sound. Bates 

 relates that one of these singing grasshoppers, which is found in 

 Brazil, and called the Tanand by the natives of the Amazon valley, 

 has such a pleasing song that it is captured and kept in little 

 cages. The North American Katydids are famous for their song, 

 and, although there are several species, most of them produce a 

 sound somewhat resembling the words " Katy-did." " Katy-did, 

 Katy-did, Oshe-did, Katy-did-she-did, Katy-did," is the curious 

 song of these insects, which the males are said to perform in 

 rivalry with one another. 



Although comparatively little is known of the habits of the 

 LocustidcB, it has been observed that they are not exclusively 

 vegetable feeders, many seeming to prefer a mixed, if not entirely 

 carnivorous diet. Many of the species display in the greatest 

 perfection the resemblance of the front wings or tegmina to 

 leaves, some, indeed, looking exactly like leaves in various stages of 

 freshness and decay. 



The Acridiidae includes the common Grasshoppers and true 

 Locusts, which are easily distinguished from the Locustidae by 

 their short, generally thread-like antenna and the absence of 

 the projecting ovipositor in the females. The song of the male 



