316 ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. PIERS. 



the eye after some searching will usually be able to detect 

 the leaf-like insect and, slowly approaching, it may be taken 

 by the fingers— if it does not suddenly drop among the 

 leaves below! At night a lantern has to be used to see the 

 insect, what is known as a "dark" one being no doubt best 

 for the purpose. 



Although so difficult to detect owing to its similitude to 

 a leaf and its sluggish movements, yet the loud stridulation 

 of the males after nightfall makes known its approximate 

 location. During the day they are usually silent, or rarely 

 produce a short, sharp note, zip. After nightfall, however, 

 their ear-piercing notes are as notable a rural chorus in late 

 summer and autumn as those of the Tree Toads in spring. 

 It is by far the loudest sound produced by any of our Orthop- 

 tera exclusive of other members of its own genus. The 

 calling organ consists of a transparent membrane at the 

 base of the overlapping dorsal area of one of the wing-covers, 

 the membrane being crossed by a prominent curved vein 

 bearing a row of minute file-like teeth on the under side, 

 which are rasped over a vein on the upper surface of the 

 UBider wing-cover, in which way a strident note is produced. 

 On watching the male, he will be seen occasionally to sud- 

 denly lift, part and then again close the wing-covers, pro- 

 ducing a sharp zip or crick, not very loud, which is the same 

 as the day note. After making this sound at irregular 

 intervals for sometime, he opens and closes the wing-covers 

 to a greater extent, and so produces a long-drawn, exceedingly 

 loud, fierce-sounding cr-r-r-r-r-r-ick! or tschr-r-r-r-ip! , which 

 is repeated in couplets several times. This vehement chal- 

 lenge is then answered successively by every other male 

 in his vicinity, until numbers are rasping out their 

 chorus of ear-piercing notes, which are borne far on the 

 still night air. After a while the notes become few, but 

 later are started again by another bold male; and so the 

 tumult is kept up intermittently throughout the night. I 



