12 BULLETIN 256, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
if not always, be detected by the extrusion near the base of the ovi- 
positor of a bilobed translucent, jellylike mass of unknown character, 
which is visible for several hours. 1 
Specimens in captivity have mated as often as six times in a 
period of about 120 days. Union of the sexes perhaps occurs less 
often in the field. The stridulation note of the male is a short, soft 
rasp, usually given one, two, or three times in succession. The note 
is produced by rubbing the short, filelike process, extending diagonally 
across the under surface of the fore wings, over the thin margin of 
the hind wings. At times it appears to be a sexual call, at other 
times merely a note of alarm; it is most persistent at night. 
OVIPOSITION. 
Oviposition, which has been observed by the writers many times, 
has already been described in some detail by Riley. 2 Variations from 
Riley's account were noted in the orange groves near Lindsay, Cal., 
as follows: For a period of about 10 seconds the female generally 
cleanses, or possibly lubricates,- the convex edge and tip of the 
ovipositor with her mouth before the deposition of each egg. The 
ovipositor is always held firmly between the mandibles from the mo- 
ment its tip touches the edge of the leaf until the blade is finally with- 
drawn from the latter. As the ovipositor is forced between the leaf 
surfaces the two pairs of blades comprising it move slowly back and 
forth, alternately, over each other with a distinct though slight rotatory 
motion. The apical third of two of the blades is finely notched, 
sawlike, along the concave margin, the other pair being similarly 
notched along the convex margin. At the beginning of oviposition 
the ovipositor is worked into the leaf for almost its entire length, thus 
forming a pocket to contain the egg. Without pause the organ is 
then withdrawn to hah its length, and the abdomen begins to expand 
and contract rhythmically, forcing the egg between the blades of the 
ovipositor into the cavity in the leaf. The complete operation of 
depositing one egg requires about four and one-half minutes. 
Rate of oviposition and number of eggs deposited by single females . — 
A female of Scudderia furcata has been seen to deposit as many as 9 
eggs in 45 minutes. This high rate of oviposition is not, however, 
long maintained, and after depositing such a number the female usu- 
ally ceases to oviposit for from one to four days. Eggs are seldom 
deposited for more than three days in succession. During the summer 
1 Similar protrusions have been noted following mating in the females of other Loeustida\ The writers 
have observed it on the female of Microcentrum rhombifolium Sauss.; C. P. Gillette has seen and described 
it on Anabrus simpler Haldeman; R. E. Snodgrass has noted the phenomenon in connection with the 
mating of Pcranabrus scabricollis Thomas; and it had previously been observed in Scudderia furcata 
Brunn. by A. N. Caudell. 
2 Loc. cit. Due to a misidentification the name here used is Scudderia curvicauda. 
