THE GRASSHOPPER AND OTHER ORTHOPTERA 



parent outer covering, or cornea, of the eyes with a micro- 

 scope it will be seen to be divided into a number of six- 

 sided areas. Each of these areas lies over a sort of simple 

 eye; in fact the compound eye may be regarded as 

 composed of a large number of simple eyes lying side 

 by side, the whole forming a very efficient organ of sight 

 as you may easily convince yourself by trying to catch 

 grasshoppers in the field. Besides the compound eyes 

 there are three simple ones or 

 ocelli at the top of the head, 

 but little is known concerning 

 their precise use. 



The long feelers or antenna 

 on the front of the head are 

 composed of many movable 

 segments. By watching a live 

 grasshopper you may discover 

 indications that the antennae 

 are used as organs of touch. 

 They are also, curiously 

 enough, organs of the sense of 

 smell. The microscope shows 

 that they contain numerous 

 pits, the olfactory pitSj which 

 are probably organs for detect- 

 ing odorous substances. On 

 the mouth parts of the grass- 

 hopper there are certain organs- resembling short feelers, 

 called the palps, which the grasshopper uses considerably 

 when feeding. These palps have been thought to contain 

 organs of taste, but it is probable that taste organs occur 

 further within the mouth also. 



The grasshopper is furnished with three pairs of mouth 

 parts: (i) a pair of strong jaws or mandibles; (2) a pair of 



PIG. 2. Face of grasshopper. 

 ANT, antennae; C, clypeus; L, 

 upper lip; O, ocellus; P, palpi. 



