42 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



vanicus. Beutemniiller gives the names abbreviates and Pennsylvanicne, Under the 

 former he places the variety angitstus and under the latter he places the varieties luctuosus, 

 niger and neglectus. 



An effort was made to separate the species of Gryllus by the aid of the wing venation 

 but it was impossible to find variations which were constant. The number of oblique 

 veins varies from three to five. The diagonal vein or vena p'icata bifurcates to form the 

 mirror which is more or less rounded. A transverse vein crosses the mirror. In all 

 specimens examined the structure of the mirror remains practically the same ; the trans- 

 verse vein in some cases is rather faint. Beutenmiiller states that abbreviatus has a much 

 larger head and is more clamsy than Pennsylvanicus, but I fail to see any differences. 

 One form luctuosus has long hind wings which project like tails behind the wing covers. 

 This character is peculiar to both sexes. I see no reason why this character is not 

 sufficient to delimit this form as a distinct species. We may then refer all the other 

 varieties of the region to one species abbreviatus. 



Fernald describes abbreviatus as follows : Black, elytra fusco-testaceous : veins 

 testaceous ; wings wanting ; ovipositor as long as body. 



The same author describes luctuosus : Black or brownish ; elytra fusco-testaceous or 

 black ; wings extending to the end of the abdomen ; ovipositor as long as the femur and 

 half the tibia. 



Nemobius. 



From the study of the tympanal areas of wing covers of the males of Nemobius I am 

 unable to find any constant variation in the venation, so I am obliged to place all the 

 members under one or two species by reference to plates. It will be seen that the harp 

 area is traversed by only one oblique vein, that the tympanum is sometimes quadrate, 

 sometimes more irregular, often with veins penetrating it and ending blindly. The degree 

 of development of the apical part of the wing cover varies even in the same variety. The 

 extremity of the wing cover is not prolonged but widely rounded, and the tympanum is 

 thrown far back so that the apical area is very short and is composed usually of but one 

 row of cells. The vena plicata bifurcates to enclose the tympanal area which moreover 

 •encloses two, Bometimes three cells. (Figs. 29-80.) Saussure is unable to separate our 

 forms by any constant variation in the tympanum and my studies confirm his conclusion. 



As in Gryllus there is a form with long caudate wings. I would be in favor of 

 limiting the species fasciatus to this form. The remaining forms would then fall into the 

 opecies vittatus — the smaller forms making the variety exiguus. 



(Ecanthus. 



The specimens of QScanthus collected about Ithaca, N.Y. and Windsor, Ontario, 

 -present many variations in venation, color, shape of wing and surface markings. They 

 were collected during August, September and October, and the great majority of them 

 ^were caught on Ambrosia artemisisefolia (ragweed) and Euphorbia corollata (white spurge). 

 A few were taken on grape vines, orchard trees and sumach. In color the specimens 

 ranged from snowy white to almost black. 



1 have made an attempt to classify the species of GScanthus according to the vena- 

 tion of a portion of the wing cover of the male. This is the portion called the harpa by 

 Brunner. As will be seen by reference to a drawing of the wing cover of a male the 

 vena plicata during the first quarter of its course forms the file or rasp. Extending in an 

 oblique direction from the file are two or more veins more or less undulating which con- 

 nect with the vena dividens. The file and oblique veins constitute the harp. Evidently 

 the function of the oblique veins is to make tense the large vein to which they are 

 Attached. 



The chirp of (Ecanthus is a sexual call of the male to the female. It is natural to 

 suppose that the females recognize the peculiar call of the males of the same species and 



