FEMALE OF THE GREAT GREEN GRASSHOPPER. 



BRITISH GRASSHOPPERS 



By DOUGLAS ENGLISH, B.A., F.R.P.S. 



Illustrated with photographs by the Author 



THE Praying Insects or Mantids, 

 Leaf and Stick Insects, Cock- 

 roaches, Earwigs, Short-horned 

 Grasshoppers, Long-horned Grasshoppers 

 and Crickets, constitute a somewhat 

 heterogeneous Insect Order known as 

 the Orthoptera. 



The Order admits of a natural (h vision 

 into two groups. The first of these 

 embraces insects whose liind-legs are 

 not markedly disproportionate, and whose 

 normal method of progress is, as their 

 name Cursoria suggests, a run. 



Of this group we have about a dozen 

 indigenous species. Three are Cock- 

 roaches, all, fortunately, of an out-door 

 habit, and the remaining eight or nine 

 are Earwigs. Of recent years several 

 species of Stick insects have been success- 

 fully bred in this country, and records 

 of their capture at large, more especially 

 in the western counties, whose climate 

 apparently suits them, have been not in- 



frequent. It is possible that they may 

 permanently establish themselves, and 

 there seems to be no reason why an 

 attempt to introduce some of the quaint, 

 consequential, and, it must be confessed, 

 somewhat uncanny-looking Mantids should 

 not be equally successful. 



The members of the second grcnip are 

 known scientifically as Saltatoria, and 

 popularly as Grasshoppers, or Locusts. 

 In the majority of them the development 

 of the hind-legs ensures a remarkable 

 leaping power, but is a serious handicap 

 to any other method of progression. We 

 have in this country about a dozen 

 Short -horned Grasshoppers (diminutive 

 Locusts), nine Long-horned, and four 

 Crickets. Our hsts are not infrequently 

 increased by the sporadic appearance of 

 Continental species, some of which may 

 have been blown over, while others have 

 been accidentally included in consign- 

 ments of fru't and vegetables. 

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