INSECTS 



383 



The most conspicuous British species is the Large Green Grass- 

 hopper {Locusta viridissimd) which, despite its generic name, 

 is not a locust at all. Other examples are the North American 

 Katydids. 



Crickets agree in many essential particulars with the members 

 of the preceding group, possessing as they do long, slender an- 

 tennae and similarly situated musical and vocal organs, while 

 the female is usually provided with an ovipositor. There are, 

 however, differences in detail ; e.g. the tarsus is usually three- 

 jointed instead of four-jointed, and the musical organs involve 

 a larger part of the wing. There are four different kinds of 

 cricket in the British area, of which by far the most familiar 

 is the House-Cricket (Gryllus domesticus), which is one of the 

 animals most constantly associated with human dwellings, and 

 is not unconnected with superstitious ideas. Habit has ren- 

 dered its chirpings agreeable to our ears, and Dickens's ever- 

 popular story. The Cricket on the Hearth, gives it an interest 

 which few Orthoptera can boast. It is perhaps rather un- 

 romantic to add that in dra- 

 matic presentments of the 

 tale the all-important chirp is 

 imitated by using a glass- 

 stoppered bottle, the stopper 

 of which is twisted round so as 

 to produce a creaking sound. 

 This particular insect ranges 

 over a large part of the Old 

 World, and also occurs in 

 North America. Its distri- 

 bution has probably been 

 extended by human agency. 

 Of the two British species of 

 Field-Cricket, one {Nemobius 

 sylvestris) is small in size, 

 while the other (Gryllus campestris) is a good deal larger than the 

 Common Cricket, and usually black in colour. The Mole-Cricket 

 {Gryllotalpa vulgaris) (fig. 232) is a remarkable form, practically 

 limited to the south of England with us, though common on the 

 Continent. It burrows underground by means of its remarkably 

 •modified fore-feet, and its habits will be dealt with elsewhere. 



Fig. 232. — Mole-Cricket {Gryllotalpa vulgaris) 

 ». Eggs; 2, 3, larvae; 4, adult. 



