850 The Zoologist— August, 1867. 



escaped before ray return to the spot where I had left them 

 suspended. 



2. Deinacrida thoracica. — This species is very common in the 

 North Island. It infests decayed wood, and particularly the dead 

 stems of the tutu {Coriaria sarmentosa), into which it bores. The 

 male may be readily distinguished from the female by its large head 

 and long powerful jaws. The ovipositor (in the female) is about half 

 an inch long, and is slightly recurved. This insect is preyed on by 

 the long-tailed cuckoo {Eudynamis ta'ilensis), the whistling parrot 

 (Nestor meridionalis), and several other birds. In connection with 

 this species of Deinacrida I have to record a remarkable circumstance 

 which lately came under my own observation. Dr. Boor, of Welling- 

 ton, who was collecting New Zealand insects, obtained several 

 examples of the small weta, and dropped them alive into a bottle 

 containing spirits of wine. One of them, after struggling for a few 

 seconds, shot forth from the orifice of the alimentary canal two long 

 processes, which came out from the body spirally and with a wonder- 

 fully rapid motion. The insect expired with these appendages 

 disposed in coils. On examination I found that they measured, 

 respectively, nine inches and eight inches and three-quarters, that they 

 were of a rich brown colour, perfectly round, tapering to a point, elastic 

 and resembling, in general appearance, a gutta-percha tube. This 

 abnormal specimen is now in the Colonial Museum at Wellington. 



3. Deinacrida megacephala. — I propose this name for a new species, 

 of which I have received several examples (of both sexes) from the 

 woods in the neighbourhood of Wellington. It is characterized by a 

 head and mandibles so large as to appear out of all proportion to the 

 size of the body. This exaggerated feature is wanting in the female, 

 which, however, is distinguishable from Deinacrida thoracica by suffi- 

 ciently obvious specific characters. The tibiae are considerably 

 thicker and more strongly armed with lateral spurs, although not 

 longer, than in the other species ; the thorax, which is ochreous-yellow, 

 marked with black, in D. thoracica is of uniform dark umber, narrowly 

 margined with brown ; and the body of this species, instead of being 

 pale brown, is deep reddish brown with transverse bands of black. 

 The femora are marked on each side with three series of minute black 

 spots, which are more conspicuous in the male. The following are 

 measurements of the male: — Head and mandibles one inch; from 

 anterior edge of thorax to the end of the abdomen one inch and three- 

 sixteenths, the plate of the thorax measuring a quarter of an inch. 



