THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



101 



Glow-worm may occasionally be seen amongst t^e 

 grass, and in February and March H. leucophceria 

 may be taken from the tree trunks. During the 

 night Owls and Nightjars will make you aware of 

 their presence by keeping up a continual noise, 

 and I have also heard Nightingales, sometimes 



j two or three at a time. Jackdaws breed abun- 

 dantly in the tops of the old oak trees, and 



i occasionally also the green Woodpecker. 



(To be continued.) 



ORDERS OF INSECTS. 



(Continued from Page 87.) 



ORTHOPTERA. 



J The Orthoptera, or straight-wings, may be dis- 

 inguished from all other orders by the perfect 

 : nsect having the whole length of the fore-wings 

 1 sathery, and often very narrow, and the broad, 

 lembranaceous hind wings folded up beneath 

 ' hem, much in the manner in which a fan is folded, 

 ^hey may be distinguished from the Uet0roptera 

 ' fl y the mouth, which, as already explained, is a 



* ibe for sucking the juices of plants, Sec, in this 



* lb-order, but the Orthoptera have mandibles, or 

 .ws, and bite their food. The fore-wings, too, 



' ' the Heteroptera, you will remember, are mem- 

 branaceous at the tip, while those of the Orthoptera 

 Te alike the whole length, and they are generally 

 "*uch larger insects. From Coleoptera they may 

 ; : known by their wing cases which generally 

 * J er-lap one another when at rest, and which are 

 ;s horny than those of beetles. Besides, the 

 rtra of the Coleoptera generally cover for 

 t whole of the abdomen, like a single piece. 

 " le metamorphoses of the Orthoptera are " in- 

 ' nplete," — that is, the young resemble the adult 

 ' :ept in not having wings. The order includes 

 13 ny well known and highly destructive insects. 

 si e Cockroach (Blatta) has been enlarged upon 

 mgh in the Rev. J. G. Wood's lecture on "Un- 

 >reciated Insects." The Earwig (Forficula) 

 ' J , has had its sh*e of attention in the same 

 ure. The Earwig is often a great nuisance to 

 "1 collector who is "sugaring" for moths, as 

 \f swarm upon the sugared patches to the 

 iment of everything else. It is worth watch- 

 -'i a newly sugared post or tree trunk to see the 

 *"!wig alight. Its large and beautiful wings are 

 ™i expanded but, quick as thought, it turns up 



its abdomen, and with a motion or two of the 

 forceps, so quick that the eye can scarcely follow, 

 the wings are folded u*5 and neatly tucked in out 

 of sight, below the small elytra, or fore-wings. 

 The larva is like the adult, but has no wing cases, 

 is smaller, and the forceps are straighter. The 

 pupa has tke elytra visible, is larger than the 

 larva, and the forceps are a little more curved. 

 Another example of this order is the Mantis ; it 

 does not occur in Britain, though one species is 

 not uncommon in South Europe. It has acquired 

 notoriety from the manner in which it places : its 

 fore legs, as if in prayer. It is called the Praying 

 Mantis, {Mantis religiosa). The Phasing contain 

 many extraordinary insects, called " walking 

 leaves," "stick insects," &c. They generally have 

 very long, thin bodies, some of them are destitute 

 of wings, and closely resemble a twig or bit of 

 stick ; others have wings so like a leaf that but 

 for their motions they would be mistaken for one ; 

 while some forms are still more curious. They 

 are mostly exotic, very few being European and 

 none British. All these insects walk or run, and 

 have been called Cursoria. The other section of 

 the Orthoptera have been called Saltatoria, from 

 their habit of jumping. It includes Grasshoppers, 

 Crickets, Locusts, &c. Locusts are very rare in 

 Britain, but in some seasons small nights of various 

 kinds occur in these islands, but probably seldom 

 breed here. In other places they are at times a 

 great plague. The goverments of some countries, 

 it is said, have received so many measures of locusts 

 in lieu of taxes. In other countries large rewards 

 have been given for the destruction of the insects 

 and especially of their eggs. Algiers has often been 

 scourged with them. So recently as 1866 they 

 did so much damage that the French Government 

 opened a subscription list to assist the ruined 

 colony. In those places where they occur regularly 

 they are a much appreciated article of food. 

 John the Baptist ate locusts, and there are 

 many allusions to them as an article of diet 

 among the writings of the ancients. Many species 

 of Grasshoppers are common in the country, and 

 they closely resemble tke Locusts, except in size. 

 Their habits are similar, but they do not seem 

 ever to occur in such numbers as to commit serious 

 depredations. The Mole Cricket, {Qyrllo talpo 

 vulgaris), is a very curious insect, and its English 

 name is quite appropriate. Its fore legs are not 

 unlike the fore legs of a mole, and are used for the 



