ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. PIERS. 2U:^ 



kinds are most liable to cause damage and iiow their depre- 

 dations may be prevented; and, finally, to supply scientific 

 men with data regarding the extension of the known geo- 

 graphic range of the various forms and with observations 

 generally on these insects as found in Nova Scotia. 



Lack of knowledge regarding Orthoptera — It is truly 

 remarkable what little knowledge ordinary men have of 

 our Orthoptera, although those insects are yearly pilfering 

 many thousands of dollars from the hard-working agricul- 

 turist. Of the common indigenous species, even the intelligent 

 layman knows almost nothing, except that he lumps together 

 in hi.i mind a number of different kinds of hopping insects 

 which he sees in the grass, and vaguely terms them "grass- 

 hoppers," and the myriads of black crickets are to him just 

 "crickets" and nothing more definite. Some of our most 

 abundant species, such as Scudderia pistillata, with its remark- 

 able form, bright green colour and strident call, are unknown 

 to him by sight,, and the greatest surprise is evinced when 

 one is shown. How can we deal intelligently with ortho- 

 pteran pests, when such ignorance is everywhere prevalent 

 except among a few specialists? Nor is this true of our own 

 province only, for similar conditions prevail fairly geneially 

 throughout America. No doubt the lack of convenient 

 manuals for study, has had very much to do with the scant 

 knowledge that exists in the public's mind regarding so many 

 of the lower forms of life. 



Orthoptera in General. 



External anatomy of a locust. — At least a moderate know- 

 ledge of the s'joerficiil structure of a loaust is necessar}'' in 

 order to understand descriptions. Very briefly, the external 

 anatomy of a typical insect of this kind is as follows: There 

 being no internal skeleton, the outside of the V)ody is com- 

 posed of a framework or exoskeleton of protective plates 

 of cuticle hardened by "chitin" secreted by the cells of 



