ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. — PIERS. 329 



Family Gryllid.'e (Crickets). 



Antennir much lonjiTi" tlian body, l)ristle-shaped; wing- 

 covers flat above and abrui)tly turned downward at sides; 

 hind femora stout; tarsi (feet) three-jointed; ovipositor 

 usually protruding, straight or upturned, needle-shaped, 

 the tip often enlarged; calling organ of male, when present 

 as in our species, is near base of wing-covers as in the Tetti- 

 goniiikv, but is larger and extends across proximal portion of 

 both anal and median areas of wing-covers. The hind-wings 

 are usually short and of little use for flight, although 

 sometimes extending much beyond the ends of wing-covers. 



The familiar chirp of the male cricket is not vocal as 

 many suppose, but is produced by rubbing the veins of the 

 stridulatory area at the base of one wing-cover over those 

 of the other, somewhat as in the TettigoniidcB. The eggs 

 of most species are deposited singly in the ground, and a 

 few of the burrowing species lay theirs in masses in their 

 burrows, while the arboreal tree-crickets {(Ecanthince) , which 

 have not j^et been found in this province, pi ice theirs in a 

 row in the pith of plants. Oviposition takes place in late 

 summer or early autumn, and the eggs in Nova Scotia doubt- 

 less do not hatch till the next season. Many of the species 

 do very considerable damage to pasture-land. 



Only the subfamily Gryllince is so far known to be repre- 

 sented in Nova Scotia. Gryllotalpa borealis Burmeister, 

 the Northern Mole-cricket, of the subfamily Gryllotalpince, 

 with fore tibiae enlarged and fitted for digging, occurs in 

 the northern half of New England, Anticosti Island, and 

 Ontario, and might possibly be found here, but it is not very 

 likely to be. 



Subfamily Gryllinae (Ground and Field Crickets). 

 Tarsi compressed, second joint minute; fore tibiae not 

 enlarged; hind tibiae rather stout, with two rows of stout 

 spines without teeth between them. 



Pfto;. & Trans. N. S. I\-st. S.i., Vol XIV. Tr.^n.s. 21 



