382 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



where they had been so common before. After a long search, 

 a number were located in quarters somewhat different from 

 those in which I had previously found them. They had taken 

 up positions near the ground. To enumerate, I discovered 

 one female hiding ten inches above the earth within the folded 

 dead leaf of a ground cherry. Close by Was a male on a green 

 leaf of the same plant. Immediately afterwards I found 

 two more males and a female on the light yellowish green leaves 

 of another of these plants. Similarly, a pair which were 

 almost invisible were crouched among the leaves and seed 

 receptacles of a species of cinquefoil. 



On October first, among some wild blackberry bushes, I 

 noted a number of these crickets of both sexes walking about 

 on the upper surface of the leaves. The slightest motion on 

 my part caused them to seek safety by darting around the side 

 margins of the leaves, disappearing underneath, or they would 

 jump below. Here I found two females together, clinging on 

 upside down, each hiding within a curled leaflet of the black- 

 berry. In the stem of the blackberry and other plants there 

 was evidence that they had laid their eggs. 



A stem of one of these plants which I found here, shown in 

 the reproduced photograph at a, shows ten punctures made 

 by the ovipositor of Fasciatus. The scarring of the plant in 

 this way did not appreciably affect the health of the branch, the 

 leaves of which were fresh and green. The same day I located 

 a number of rather large plants of the goldenrod, the stems of 

 which were used by this oecanthid for depositing her eggs. 

 The points selected for this purpose were often situated half 

 way down the main stem. Here the darkened scar areas can 

 be recognized on the green stems, where a number may be 

 found lying in close proximity. The holes, which are near 

 together, take the form of vertical continuous lines of varying 

 length, or they appear dotting the surface irregularly, as shown 

 at b and c. A broken longitudinal section of the goldenrod 

 at the scarred places will show the eggs disposed in the manner 

 represented at d. Or sometimes the eggs will be found missing 

 and instead of them there will be encountered a white larva 

 which destroys the eggs. This grub tunnels through the 

 central pith, feeding upon it and leaving the stem hollow. 



