in the Posterior Limbs of the Orthoptera aaltatoria. 235 



jumj)ing-lefijs. Difficulties presented themselves especiiilly at 

 tlic last moult, wlieu the ()rtho|)teron must free his win^^s 

 from tlnir covcrint:;. His bi.i^ hiiul legs would have allowt^d 

 him to l)race himself up to his work more elTectively, giving 

 liim a valuable means of support at the time when he had to 

 make his laborious efforts to free himself from his chitinous 

 envelope. Almost all die before having rid themselves of this 

 wrapper. Among the rare survivors, with one or two excep- 

 tions, I have only seen completely disabled insects with wings 

 all crnin|)led, and sometimes even atrophied, creeping along 

 with dilHculty. '^h(^se points were specially striking in 

 Phij Jloptera la u r if olio . 



^Supposing for a mometit that instead of being safe from 

 their numerous enen)ies, as they were in the cages wjiere I had 

 reared them, these damaged Orthoptera had been lelt to them- 

 selves. It now becomes evident that the few examples 

 which had managed to survive the dangers presented by tlie 

 ])rocess of moulting would iiave, in spite of this fact, but 

 little chance of reaching the perfect state. Let us admit even 

 that some among them, having escaped all their enemies, had 

 attained their complete development after having undergone 

 the last and most formidable moult. It still seems impossible 

 to me that tliese insects would be able to pair. In the first 

 place, whatever their sex, the absence of their big legs would 

 completely prohibit it; in the second place, granting once 

 more that it was not found to be an insurmountable obstacle, 

 it is only right to admit that the mutilated insects in question 

 would be left on one side by reason of the sexual selection 

 which appears to have been clearly proved among Orthoptera 

 saltatoria*. Finally, among certain of the Orthoptera with 

 fighting tendencies, such as the crickets, which not only 

 quarrel over the females, but engage in mortal combats for 

 the possession of the hole which serves them for a dwelling, 



* See Charles Darwin, ' The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection ' 

 (French edition, l>91,pp. 311-318). Among- the most interesting casea 

 quoted in this book occurs that of Pachytyhia niiyratorins. Korte has 

 pointed out the choice exercised by the fenjale with respect to the male. 

 The male of this species %vhen paired with a female shows his anger by 

 Ptridulatious when another male comes near. If the musical apparatus 

 plavs a part in sexual selection, Orthoptera saltatoria deprived of their 

 jumping-legs, and which in spite of this have reached the perfect state, 

 must be in a condition of great inferiority when compared with their 

 rivals, for, as I have already remarked, tlieir wings being quite bruised 

 and sometimes even atrophied, their musical apparatus is mcapable of 

 acting. In the Acrididfp rspecinlly the emission of musical notes is 

 rendered quite inijiossiMe, as the femora of thi' jumping-leg.* take part in 

 their production. 



