KATYDIDS AND THEIR KIN. 217 



common in summer and early autumn in damp mead- 

 ows and prairies, and along the mar- 

 gins of streams, ditches and ponds. 

 Grasshoppers. *L 



They are mostly terrestrial in their 

 habits, but one or two of the larger ones ever being 

 found in trees. 



Of this group 21 species have been found in Indi- 

 ana, four of which, called " cone-headed grasshoppers," 

 are more than twice as large as the others and have 

 the vertex or top of the head prolonged forwards and 

 upwards into a prominent cone. The outer wings are 

 long and slender, and the ovipositor is oftentimes of 

 excessive length. The total length of the females is 

 between one and a half and two inches, that of the 

 males averaging about a third less. ' 



These insects seem to " possess more intelligence than 

 is usual among the Orthoptera, and they are about 

 the most difficult of the order to approach. In escap- 

 ing they usually slip or fall into the grass instead of 

 jumping or flying; but they seem to fully understand 

 that they are very well protected by their color and 

 form. If approached very cautiously they often re- 

 main quite still upon the stem of grass upon which 

 you have surprised them, with the usually well 

 founded expectation that you will not be able to dis- 

 tinguish them from the green herbage around. If 

 they think it worth while to make some active move- 

 ment to escape they will frequently slip around on 

 the other side of the stem and walk down it to 

 the ground or off upon another plant. Unlike most 

 Orthoptera they do not use their front legs in hold- 

 ing to the mouth the thing upon which they feed. 



