58 POPULAR ENTOMOLOGY. 



essential particulars : their workers are wingless, and the 

 females destitute of a sting ; the difference in their appear- 

 ance is obvious. There are about a dozen British species, 

 some of which will be mentioned hereafter. 



As one of the Crickets may be both heard and seen about 

 this time, the family of which it is a member, and those to 

 which it is allied, claim our attention, as they are often con- 

 fused with each other by the inexperienced. There are three 

 families in this group of insects, named by Leach, Achetidce, 

 Gryllidce, and Locustidce. The first includes the Crickets, of 

 whicliAcheta domestica,orthe common House- Cricket, is an 

 example ; the second, those Grasshoppers which have long 

 antennae, such as the Gryttus viridissimus, green Grasshop- 

 per ; and the third, those with short antennae, as the Locusta 

 migratoria, the well-known destructive Locust. These fa- 

 milies may also be distinguished by their wings : in Ache- 

 tidce, the wings and wing-covers are held horizontally when 

 at rest ; in Gryllidce, the wings are deflexed (bent down), 

 the mandibles are also not so much toothed ; the Locustidw 

 have the wings also deflexed, but then they are known by 

 their short antennae. To this family belong a number of 

 small species, very commonly found in grass, and to which 

 the familiar name of Grasshopper is given. 



