284 ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. — PIERS. 



of Camnula pellucida, on 3 June, 1913, at Truro, in very warm 

 places. Adults may be met with from about the middle of 

 July (16 July, Truro; 18 July 1895 and 1897, Halifax), but 

 its familiar cracking notes are not usually heard until about 

 the end of July or first of August (25 July, '95, 6 Aug. '97, 

 16 Aug. '16, and 1 Aug, '17, all at Halifax). In the latter 

 part of September as the weather becomes cool, they are 

 less frequently heard; and they finally disappear about the 

 middle of October. On 8 Oct., 1916, the last one was heard 

 near the head of the North West Arm, Halifax, although 

 we did not have a killing frost till 13 Oct., on which date 

 there was ice one-fourth inch thick. On 14 Oct., 1897, 

 a single one, the last, was seen and heard on a warm, sunny 

 day, although the first light frost had occurred on 2 Oct. 

 In 1917 the last two were noted on 18 Oct., which was a 

 fine, sunny day after frost, the thermometer in the morning 

 being only 34°F. This is the latest date I have observed 

 it about Halifax. The dates of killing frosts do not seem to 

 determine its latest appearance in a district, as in 1917 they 

 survived fairly severe frosts. It is a lover of sunshine and 

 heat, and during the height of their season a cloudy day will 

 send it into hiding. But very few are seen in the earliest 

 part of the morning, as they are late risers and wait for the 

 sun's heat to energize them, and they disappear as the sun- 

 shine withdraws towards the end of the day. 



When in flight it produces a loud, sharp snapping or 

 cracking sound, klip, klip, klip, repeated usually about five 

 or six times, which is familiar to everyone on a hot summer 

 day. This note seems to be produced b}^ rubbing the under 

 surface of the wing-covers against certain veins on the upper 

 part of the hind-wings. From this sound it is usually called 

 "Cracker" or sometimes "Snapper" by boys and others, it thus 

 being the only species of locust which has been favoured with 

 a distinctive common-name in Nova Scotia. The name "Crack- 

 er" is applied to it usually about Halifax, and that name and 



