FAMILY VII.—GRYLLID^.

269

ing insects they prefer in realityother insects, and especially theinjurious plant-lice. They would,consequently, belong to the ben-eficial insects, if they did notpossess the bad habit of selectingthe cane of useful plants for thepurpose of inserting eggs intothem. The female, by means ofher strong ovipositor, thrustsher eggs into the pith of the caneselected, and as a large numberof eggs are thus laid side by side,as shown in the illustration (Fig.177), the cane is usually killedbeyond this point, and if the in-sects are at all numerous greatinjury can be caused. Burning

Fig.177.—Eggsof CEcanthussoec., ., . r . , ,

a, twig: showing punctures; b, twig tilC miectecl CQ,T}€ Ccirlv 111 Spritlgsplit open to show eggs; c, a single .

egg; d, cap of egg, enlarged. After ig a gOOQ remedy.

CEcanthus niveus DeGeer.

THE SNOWY TREE-CRICKET.

Wholly pale, ivory-white, tinged with delicate green, withtwo slightlyelevated black dots on the underside of each an-tenna, one on the first and one on the second joint (Fig. 178).

Top of head and first joint of antenna usu-ally pale yellowish-brown. Tip of ovipos-itor black. Wing-covers almost twice aslong as the abdomen; hind wings as longas the wing-covers. The maxillary palpiare longer in this than in any other speciesof the genus, and the wing-covers of the male broader inproportion to their length than in any other except latipen-nis. Average length, from head to end of wings, 16 mm.;

Fig. 178. — CEcanthus niveus; two ba-sal joints of antennaeOriginal