354 ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. PIERS. 



the number heard has much lessened in daytime and few or 

 none shrill at night; and often none are noted during some 

 days in the latter pait of that month, although the little 

 Nemohius is then chirring. The last one heard in 1897 was 

 on 5th Nov., about noon, it being a fine sunny day although 

 a hoar-frost had occurred the previous night. The period 

 of their stridulation, therefore, is about coincident with that 

 of Nemohius; and like the latter, this insect is rather silent 

 during dull days. 



A close observer can readily learn to distinguish the 

 shrilling of the larger cricket, when in full song, from that 

 of Nemohius, although they have many tonal characteristics 

 in common. The note of our Gryllus is considerably louder, 

 and is a shorter, slower-timed, and more distinct and notice- 

 able trill than that of its smaller relative. It sounds like 

 the trilled syllable plee-e-e. After each such trill it is silent 

 for a moment and then calls again, thus: plee-e-e; plee-e-e; 

 and so on. These notes sound out distinctly louder and more 

 staccata from the omnipresent undertone and lower-toned 

 tremolo resultant from the intermingled shiilling of countless 

 numbers of Nemohius on all sides. When both species call 

 more faintly at the beginning of the season, it is much more 

 difficult to differentiate between the two. 



No doubt this species does considerable damage to pasture 

 land in the western parts of the province, but about Halifax 

 its abundance is not sufficient to make it a pest to the agri- 

 culturist, the Striped Ground Cricket being the one which 

 creates most injury in the latter district. 



ADDENDA 



Page 268. A nymph of Chorthippus curtipennis (green phase) in about 

 4th stage was taken at the head of the North West Arm, Halifax, 23 June, 

 1918. — Page 306 and 232. Nymphs of Melanoplus bivitlalus in about 1st, 

 2nd and 3rd stages, and from 5H to 14 mim. long, were taken at the head of 

 the North West Arm, 22-23 June, 1918. Hoar frost and ice )4 i^cli thick 

 formed there on morning of 21 June. 



