GEYLLIDJ2. 
103 
The burrowing species are vegetarian feeding upon roots and also 
coming up at night to cut off green vegetation. Little is known of the 
food of other species. The small bush crickets are to some extent pre¬ 
daceous on small insects and there is no reason to believe they are vege¬ 
tarian. The surface-living species are possibly also predaceous but one 
at least is found feeding upon living plants. Crickets are universally 
distributed in India and are perhaps as abundant in the drier plain areas 
as in the moist tracts of the delta and forest districts. 
The large brown cricket (Br achy try pes achatinus, Stoll.), is the most 
familiar burrowing species, found commonly in the Himalayas and the 
Fig. 40— Braohytrypes achatinus. Egg. x 4. Nymph, fourth 
INSTAR X li. IMAGO. X 1. 
adjacent plains, in Assam and Burma. It has a wide distribution in 
Eastern Asia and may be widely distributed in suitable localities through¬ 
out the plains. It grows to a large size and is rarely seen on the surface 
save when the heavy rains flood it out from its burrows. At dusk, the 
male comes to the surface, and pours fortli its strident note, the sustain¬ 
ed shrill vibration being very piercing and, as one approaches, beating 
in the ears with extraordinary intensity; even a Cicada hardly produces 
such intensity of sound. At night the cricket seeks its food, the leaves 
