0 HTIIOPTERA. 
L 5 
often furnished with a tail-like spot, surrounded by 
ridge-like veins, the sound being produced by rubbing 
the wing-covers sharply over each other. The green 
Grasshopper (Acrida mridissima ) is one of the largest 
British specimens of this family, being about two inches 
long and three and a half in expanse of wing. Though 
of a beautiful green colour when alive, the colour soon 
fades on the death of the insect. I must not forget to 
notice the elegant green grasshopper of the oak (. Meco - 
nema varia). It is a smaller species than the last, and 
dwells on trees, and not on the ground. As the insect 
is of the same colour as the leaves, and difficult to 
detect, the only way to procure specimens is to 
beat or shake the leaves and catch the falling 
beauties. I have occasionally obtained specimens from 
the bark of oak trees. It is a lovely creature, and I 
must ask my readers to try and procure specimens in 
the summer and autumn. Of the Cricket family, the 
Achetidcv , there are two genera,, the cricket (. Acheta ), 
and the mole cricket ( Gryllotalpa ). In the former 
genus there is the well-known “ cricket on the hearth” 
(A. domestica :), and the field crickets (. A . campestris and 
A. sylvestris). The domestic cricket has extremely long 
and slender antennae, the wings and wing-covers have a 
' horizontal position ; the wings are of large size, and 
when folded up they form a pair of long, slender pro¬ 
cesses/which often extend some way beyond the extre¬ 
mity of the body. The sound-producing apparatus is 
similar to that in the Gryllidce. The common cricket, 
as is well-known, establishes itself in the neighbourhood 
of the fire-place, generally preferring the kitchen, where 
its monotonous chirp, chirp, may often be heard. In 
