164 
THIRTEENTH REPORT. 
but for the most part shorter than the abdomen. Wings usually a little 
shorter than the wing covers. Stridulating organ of male well devel- 
oped. the veins prominent, light brown in color, and with the middle 
transparent. Hind femora of medium length, stout at base; mostly un- 
armed beneath. Ovipositor narrow, straight, or but slightly curved, 
oftentimes of excessive length. Anal plates of male not prolonged; the 
cerci usually much swollen, and toothed at base on the inner margin.” 
- — Blatchley. 
20. Xiphidium fasciatum (De Geer). — The face is quite straight, 
very oblique, with a scarcely-marked frontal costa; vertex about the 
width of the basal joint of the antennae, which often extend to the tip 
of the out-stretched hind leg. Pronotum truncate on front margin, 
rounded posteriorly. Tegmina shorter than wings, but considerably 
longer than the abdomen; stridulating organ conspicuous on male, just 
back of the pronotum. 
Color: — General color green. Tegmina and basal part of ovipositor 
light reddish brown; dark reddish brown stripe extending along dorsal 
surface, from the vertex to the tip of the abdomen; sometimes a dark 
stripe on the hind femora. 
Measurements : — Length of body, male, 12 mm.; female, 14 mm.; teg- 
mina, male, 13 mm., female, 14 mm. ; hind femora, male, 10.5 mm., fe- 
male, 12 mm.; antennae, 30 mm.; ovipositor, S mm. 
FAMILY GRYLLIDAB. 
“The third family of Ovthoptera belonging to the sub-order Saltatoria 
comprises the Gryllidae or crickets. From the other Orthopterous in- 
sects they may be distinguished by having the wing covers flat above 
and bent abruptly downward at the sides; the tarsi or feet, three-jointed, 
without pads between the claws; the fore coxae longer than broad. 
Ocelli or simple eyes are present in the majority of species, while the 
antennae, like those of the Locustidae, are long, slender, and many 
jointed. The hearing organ, when present, is, as there, situated on the 
base of the fore tibiae. 
“The tympanum, or calling organ of the male, is also, as in the Locus- 
tidae. located near the base of the dorsal surface of the tegmina, but is 
wider and broader than in the preceding family, extending across both 
anal and m'edian areas of the tegmina. * * * 
“The inner wings of the crickets are, for the most part, short, weak, 
and comparatively useless as flying organs, though sometimes they are 
nearly twice as long as the outer pair. * * * These insects, therefore, 
travel mostly by leaps, and, in the course of time, their hind femora have 
thus become greatly enlarged. 
•‘The ovipositor of the female is usually a long cylindrical spear- 
shaped organ, consisting apparently of two pieces. Each of these halves, 
however, when closely examined, is seen to be made up of two pieces so 
united as to form a groove on the inner side, so that when the two 
halves are fitted together, a tube is produced, down which the eggs pass 
to the repository in the earth or twig, fitted to receive them. 
“Most species are represented in the winter by the eggs alone. A 
few. however, pass the cold season as nymphs or as adults. The mole 
crickets are said to exist for several years.” — Blatchley. 
