114 THE ORTHOPTERA OF GUERNSEY. 



A variety of the common earwig, larger in size, having 

 enormous pincers in the male, named Porcipata, is common 

 near the shore on the island of Lihou and on the little islet of 

 Chapelle Dom Hue, on the west coast of the island. In 

 Stephens' " Illustrations of British Entomology " it is figured 

 as a distinct species. 



The Cursoria have their hind legs but little different from 

 the others, and are formed for running. They are represented 

 here only by the Blattidce, or Cockroaches. The Mantidce and 

 PhasmidcB (the Leaf and Walking Stick Insects) are not 

 found in Northern Europe. 



The Blattidce are familiarly known as Blackbeetles, and 

 are very abundant in some houses in town. They are remark- 

 able for the excessive rapidity with which they run. The 

 habits of most of the species being nocturnal, they conceal 

 themselves by day and only appear at night. The common 

 black species, Periplaneta orientalis, which have become so 

 abundant as to be a pest, were originally natives of Asia, and 

 have been conveyed by shipping to our more temperate clime, 

 where they usually select the sides of fireplaces and backs of 

 ovens as their breeding places. Several specimens of a larger 

 species, Periplaneta Americana, have been captured here, but 

 they are known to have been brought ashore from a foreign 

 going vessel in our harbour, and I have no record of their 

 having established themselves anywhere on the island. They 

 have spread widely in England, and are found in great num- 

 bers in limited localities, one of the best known of which is 

 the Zoological Gardens of Regent's Park, in London. 



Our native species are small and lighter coloured, one of 

 them, Phyllodromia Germanica, being extremely rare in 

 England, but abundant in Northern and Eastern Europe. 



The Saltatoria have their hind legs formed for leaping, 

 as the Grasshoppers, Locusts and Crickets. Most of the 

 species are able to produce a loud chirping noise. This is 

 accomplished by rubbing together the outer edge of the upper 

 wing and the inner face of the hind femur or thigh. These 

 upper wings have projecting veins, one of which has a sharp 

 edge ; by scraping this edge over some small bead-like pro- 

 minences on the femur, the wing is thrown into a state of 

 vibration and a musical sound is produced. The tribe is 

 divided into three families : First, the Achetidce, or Crickets, 

 which are represented in Guernsey by the House Cricket and 

 Mole Cricket. The House Cricket, Gryllus domesticus, is 

 well known by its musical powers. They are particularly 

 fond of warm kitchens and bakers' ovens, on account of the 



