GRASSHOPPERS. LOCUSTS. 



151 



tinguished, on the other hand, from the Locusts, with which they 

 agree in the first of these characters, by the inferior robustness 

 of the body, and the length and slenderness of the legs and an- 

 tennae. They differ from both, in having the tarsi composed of 

 four joints. The Gryllus viridissimus, or Great Green Grass- 

 hopper, represented in Fig. 469, is the largest British species of 

 this Order, and one of the largest of our native insects ; its length 

 being about two inches, and its breadth, when the wings are 

 expanded, being three inches and a half. Many species of this 

 family are destitute of wings, or have only small wing-covers. 

 Of their voracity a curious instance is mentioned by Mr. West- 

 wood ; who states that on one occasion he placed a specimen of 

 the large green species in a box, together with one of its legs 

 which it had accidentally jerked off; and on opening the box the 

 next morning, half the leg was devoured. Amongst the foreign 

 species of this group, there are some which bear a most singular 

 resemblance to the fresh leaves of various plants. 



732. The last group 

 of this Order consists of 

 the various tribes of mi- 

 gratory Locusts, together 

 with several which are 

 ordinarily ranked as 

 Grasshoppers, but which 

 agree with the Locusts 

 in the shortness of their 

 antennae, and the robust- 

 ness of their bodies and 

 limbs (Fig. 470). Their 

 elytra are destitute of the 

 talc-like spots characte- 

 ristic of the two preceding 

 groups, and their stridu- 

 lation is effected by the 

 friction of the inside of the thighs against the veins of the elytra, 

 tarsi consist of three joints ; and the abdomen of the female 

 destitute of an ovipositor. They leap with much greater 



FIG. 470. Locrsr. 



