THE GRASSHOPPER'S COUSINS 



tsikk-sound just mentioned. Such notes contain little 

 music to us, but Scudder says he has seen three males sing- 

 ing to one female at the same time. This female, however, 



Fig. 16. A grasshopper, Mecostelhus gracilis, that makes a sound 

 by scraping sharp ridges on the inner surfaces of its hind thighs 



over toothed veins of the wings 



A, the male grasshopper. B, left front wing; the rasping vein is 



the one marked /. C, a part of the rasping vein and its branches 



more enlarged, showing rows of teeth 



was busy laying her eggs in a near-by stump, and there is 

 no evidence given to show that even she appreciated the 

 efforts of her serenaders. 



Several other little grasshoppers fiddle after the manner 

 of Chloealtis; but another, Mecostethus gracilis by name 

 (Fig. 16), instead of having the rasping points on the legs, 

 has on each fore wing one vein (B, /) and its branches pro- 

 vided with many small teeth, shown enlarged at C, upon 

 which it scrapes a sharp ridge situated on the inner sur- 

 face of the hind thigh. 



In another group of grasshoppers there are certain 

 species that make a noise as they fly, a crackling sound 



[31] 



