ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. — PIERS. 335 



is, however, ineffably associated with a sad feeling that 

 summer is on the wane or past, for it is our most characteristic 

 autumnal sound in grassj^ places, and is linked with the sight 

 of golden-rods and purple asters and the odour of falling 

 leaves. If one may compare audible things with those 

 seen, there always has seemed to me something about the 

 tremulous shrilling of the little cricket which reminds me of 

 the shimmering effect produced over rising ground on a still 

 summer's morning when the hot sun causes invisible vapour 

 to ascend and so sets the distant landscape pulsating and 

 dancing as if by Terpsichorean bewitchment. 



Mingled with the call of this species, particularly about 

 the more stony edges of fields and the sloping sides of country 

 roads, may be heard the louder and more staccato trill of 

 the larger and less social Gryllus pennsylvanicus neglectus, 

 but in fewer numbers. When the crickets begin to shrill, 

 and when the chorus is faintly ending in late fall, I some- 

 times find it difficult to differentiate the notes of these two 

 species, although it is easy to do so in the intervening period 

 of full song. Crickets are one of the few orthopteran families 

 which are known by sight and sound to almost everyone, 

 although they are merely called "crickets" without attempting 

 to specially distinguish the species. 



The Striped Ground Cricket is an omnivorous feeder, 

 subsisting upon grasses, carrion and cow-dung, and because 

 of its excessive numbers it must do very considerable damage 

 to pasture land, and is to be considered as a bad enemy of 

 the agriculturist and grazier. 



27. Nemobius carolinus Scudder. Carolinian Ground 

 Cricket. 



Description. — In general appearanc;e it bears considerable resemblance 

 to N. fasciatus but is smaller and differs in certain other particulars. 

 Wing-covers of male reach about tip of abdomen, those of female cover half 

 abdomen; hind wings wanting; ovipositor distinctly shorter than hind femora 

 and a little up-curved. Its small size and short ovipositor readily distinguish 

 it from N. fascialus. 



