Canadian Orthoptera. 381 



In preparing this sketch of out" Canadian species, I have 

 followed Mr. Scudder's classification, as given in Packard's 

 " Guide." With regard to localities, dates of appearance, 

 &c, unless otherwise stated, it is to be understood that they 

 refer to the neighbourhood of Montreal. 



Fam. 1. G-RYLLiDiEE Latreille, Crickets. 



The Crickets have a rather large head and thorax. The 

 antennae long and filli-form (thread-like.) The wings are 

 laid flat on the body, the costal edge of the front pair being 

 bent down so as to slightly overlap the body. The hind- 

 most thighs are very stout and muscular, enabling them to 

 make enormous leaps. The ovipositor is long and spear 

 shaped. Packard says that " The shrilling of the male is a 

 sexual call, made by raising the fore wings and rubbing 

 them on the hind wings. The noise is due to the peculiar 

 structure of the fore wings, the middle portion of which 

 forms, by its transparent elastic surface, on which there are 

 but few veinlets, a resonant drum, increasing the volume 

 of sound emitted by the rubbing of the file on the upper 

 surface of the hind pair of wings. This file is the modified 

 internal vein, the surface of which is greatly thickened, 

 rounded and covered closely with fine teeth. In the females, 

 the wings are not thus modified, and they are silent." 



The mole-crickets (G-ryllotalpa) may be recognized by 

 their powerful fore feet, which somewhat resemble those of 

 a mole, being short, stout and flattened, and armed with 

 tooth-like projections. They inhabit moist and soft earth, in 

 which they drive burrows or tunnels in search of food. 

 According to Packard, their eggs, from 300 to 400 in num- 

 ber, are laid in the spring in tough sacks in galleries. 



Only one species — Gryllotalpa borealis, Burm — is recorded 

 from Canada, where it appears to be very rare. Mr. William 

 Brodie has taken a pair in Essex county, Ont. It probably 

 does not occur in the Province of Quebec, as it is not given 

 in the Abbe* Provencher's list, nor have I met with it 

 myself. 



The large black crickets, so common in dry fields during 

 the summer months, belong to the genus Gryllus. They 



