1890.] 169 



Table of Genera. 



1 (6) Anterioi' feet adapted for walking ; female furnished with an ovipositor. 



2 (3) Posterior femora very slender i. CEcanthus. 



3 (2) Posterior femora thickened. 



4 (5) Spines of the posterior tibiaj slendei-, long and mobile. First joint of the 



posterior tarsi not sulcate above, nor serrate ii. Nemohius. 



5 (4) Spines of the posterior tibiae strong, fixed. First joint of the posterior tarsi 



sulcate above, and serrated on both sides iii. Gryllns. 



6 (1) Anterior legs adapted for digging ; ovipositor absent .... iv. Oryllotalpa. 



i.— (ECANTHUS, Serville. 

 This genus is easily distinguished by its slender posterior femora, 

 in fact, all the legs are not so robust as in the other genera. The 

 posterior tibiae are longer than the femora, and besides the usual long 

 spines have numerous short ones. The single European species is 

 flower-frequenting, and has a very loud chirp, which may be heard 

 late into the night. 



1, — CEcanthus pellucens, Scop. 

 Gryllus ■peJJucens, Scopoli, Entom. Carniol., p. 32. 

 CEcnnthus pellucens, Fischer, Orth. Eur., p. 165, tab. ix, figs. 14, 14« — b ; 



Brunner, Prod, der Eur. Orth., p. 4-21, fig. 96. 

 (Ecan. itoUciis, Fabr., Steph. Mandib., vi, p. 41. 



Greyish-straw eolour, with minute white hairs, and a few greyish-brown mark- 

 ings. Body narrow, depressed, elongate. Head horizontally produced, with the 

 vertex passing gradually into the frons without a furrow. Ocelli absent. Antennae 

 very slender, much longer than the body. Pronotum elongate, sub-cylindrical, with 

 the side lobes longer than deep. Elytra in both sexes longer than the abdomen ; in 

 ^ dilated towards the apex, posterior margin rounded ; harpa without oblique veins, 

 speculum large, formed by two oblique veins, the whole area longitudinally striate, 

 radial vein in both sexes giving 8 — 10 branches anteriorly. Elytra in $ narrow and 

 acuminate. Wings, when folded, pointed posteriorly, generally longer than the 

 abdomen, sometimes shorter in $ . Legs slender. Anterior tibiae with an open 

 tympanum in either margin ; posterior tibiae longer than posterior femora, slender, 

 in both margins above with a few long spines, and also numerous closely-set minute 

 ones. Tarsi slender, compressed, first joint of posterior tarsi not sulcate or serrate 

 above. Abdomen very narrow, supra-anal plate small. Cerci long, hairy. Oviposi- 

 tor long, reaching beyond the cerci, nearly straight, somewhat clubbed at the apex, 

 where there are numerous minute teeth, black. Length, 9 — 15 mm. 



Stephens recorded the capture of a single specimen, taken by 

 Mr. Havvorth near Halvei'gate in Norfolk. Haworth's specimen, if it 

 be genuine, and there be no error about it, is the only example of this 

 species known to have occurred so far north. Brunner gives its dis- 

 tribution as all over southern Europe and in Asia Minor. Finot says 

 it is fairly common in the south of France, and that he has taken it as 



o 



