64 



entirely enclose the abdomen, and with their strong midrib, look exceedingly like a leaf" 

 Riley. This is the true " Katy-did," the name being derived from a fancied resemblance 

 of the call of the male to the words, Katydid. 



" I sit among the leaves here, when evening zephyrs sigh, 

 And those that listen to my voice I love to mystify ; 

 I never tell them all I know, altho' I'm often bid, 

 I laugh at curiosity, and chirrup ' Katy did.' " 



Prof. Riley states that "the stridulation is quite forcible, representing more often 

 ' Katy-she-did ' than ' Katy-did,' and continued at regular intervals." 



Eare in Canada, and apparently confined to south-western Ontario. 



These are the only aboreal species on our Canadian lists, and so far as known to me, 

 they live altogether on trees and shrubs, never coming to the ground except by accident. 

 Prof. Eiley aptly remarks that " they might more appropriately be called tree-vaulters 

 than grasshoppers." 



In Conocephalus the head is conical, and extends to a point between the eyes, and 

 the ovipositor is long and straight. C. ensiger, Harr, is the only species recorded frOm 

 Canada. It is of a pale green colour, the head whitish, the abdomen and legs brownish 

 green. It measures from an inch and three-quarters to two inches in length. The female 

 has been observed by Prof. S. i. Smith, with its ovipositor forced down between the 

 root-leaves and the stalk of a species of Andropogon, where the eggs are probably 

 deposited. 



During the latter part of summer, numbers of small, fragile looking green grass- 

 hoppers may be found in damp fields. They belong to the genus Xiphidium, of which 

 we have two species in Canada, one of which, X. fasciatum, is common and generally dis- 

 tributed ; the other, X. saltans, appears to be rare, and is apparently confined to the 

 North-west. The species resemble each other very closely, their general colour being 

 green, with a brown stripe on top of the head, and the thorax bordered on each side with 

 darker brown. The ovipositor bends abruptly down at the base, and is then straight to 

 the tip. 



Prof. Riley states that X. fasciatum oviposits in the cone-like willow gall (Salicis 

 strobiloides). Although X. fasciatum and its variety, brevipennis, are abundant at Mon- 

 treal, I have not heard them shrilling j according to Mr. Scudder, " Xiphidium makes a 

 note very similar to Orchelimum, but so faint as to be barely perceptible even when close 

 at hand." 



The species of Orchelimum are almost identical with Xiphidium in general appear- 

 ance and colour, but are larger, measuring about an inch and one-tenth in length from 

 head to tip of wing-covers. They also differ somewhat in habits, according to my obser- 

 vations, Xiphidium being generally distributed among the grass, while Orchelimum con- 

 ceals itself in the ranker tufts. Orchelimum agile, De Geer, is common in the neighbour- 

 hood of Montreal, and may be found in almost every damp field where there are tufts of 

 rank grass or clumps of tall weeds. Concealed in one of these the male takes his stand 

 and trills his simple love song, which is merely a weak, wheezy trill, only audible for the 

 distance of a few feet. When shrilling the insect slightly raises its wing-covers, and 

 shuffles tliem together with a shivering motion. It shrills in the bright sunshine, and it 

 was by observing the play of light on the wings while in motion that I discovered the 

 insect, as when sitting still it is almost impossible to detect it, so effectually does its 

 green dress conceal it. 



The species of Anabrus, commonly called western crickets, are large, thick-bodied, 

 clumsy looking insects, the wings being very small and quite useless for the purpose of 

 flight. As the popular name implies, they are found in the west, where at times they 

 occur in immense numbers, often proving very injurious. A. purpurascens, Uhler, is the 

 Only species on our Canadian lists. It is of a dark purplish-brown colour, mottled with 

 yellow. 



