BAUMGARTNER: OBSERVATIONS ON THE GRYLLID^. 311 



smallest nymphs were not matured before autumn adults 

 appeared. 



In trying to classify these southern forms I finally concluded 

 that they were our common black field crickets, which had lost 

 a little, very much, or nearly all of their pigment. Although 

 Blatchley, Scudder, and De Saussure use the color difference as 

 one of the prominent characters separating species, I do not 

 believe that it can properly be so used. "Black color" and 

 "straw color" do not stand for different species in the crickets 

 of the Texas coast. The black gradually shades off into the 

 straw color ; and a black one and a light one may have the same 

 mother. 



An examination of the germ cells reveals no differences in 

 cell structure between the southern light-colored specimens 

 and our native black ones. But both differ markedly from 

 that found in Gryllus domesticus, as has been and will be shown 

 by the papers dealing with spermatogenesis. 



All of the collections made in the various localities show 

 dimorphism as to wing length. The short-winged forms are 

 very much more numerous in all places, but the long-winged 

 forms vary greatly in frequency in the several localities, as 

 Lutz {IJt) has found. 



Blatchley {6) is correct when he suggests that the failure 

 of past monographers of this genus is in part due to the fact 

 that they have neglected the study of the animals in the field. 

 By using this method he has added some very useful hints on 

 the habits and structure, as they bear on the classification. He 

 has plainly shown that there are in many localities really two 

 broods, one maturing early and the other later. He considers 

 them as belonging to different species. Lutz denies this. In 

 whatever region I have observed the two broods, the autumn 

 specimens are larger and more robust than the earlier ones. 

 They also differ in proportions and color enough to represent 

 two species according to ordinary criteria for species ; but the 

 intergrading of the forms from different localities would re- 

 move all distinctive characteristics. So while Blatchley is ap- 

 parently right, I feel confident that extensive careful collecting 

 will show that Lutz is correct. 



The earlier brood lives "in burrows singly or in pairs," 

 while the later ones "are more sociable," and there is not much 

 "forsaking of burrows," as Blatchley {6) thinks. My ob- 

 servations have led me to the following conclusions: Of the 



