Article beginning on page 183.
Psyche 9:183, 1900.
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PSYCHE.
THE HABITS AND NOTES OF THE NEW ENGLAND SPECIES OF OECANTHUS.
BY WALTER FAXON, CAMBRIDGE, MASS.
(In a Letter to S. H. Scudder.)
Two years ago I became a good deal
interested in our Oecanthi, I found four species in the region about Cambridge,
all of them distinct in their markings,
and all save one readily distinguished
by their habits and notes.
I. dec. ni71eq whitish-green, with a
roundish black spot on basal segment of
antennae, and another on the second
segment. The song is the well-known
rhythmical cricket-note of autumn even-
ings.
2. Oec. angttstijennis; greenish-white,
more niveous than nivws! Like the
last, chiefly nocturnal, singing on trees and shrubs. Basal joints of the anten-
nae with crescentic black marks. Song
entirely different from that of rtive~~x, consisting of a trill of several seconds' duration, succeeded by a short pause;
this song suggests the spring note of
the toad, heard afar off.
3. Oec, nigticornis; strong yelfowish
cast on the wings ; legs and antennae with a good deal of fuscous ; basal segments
of antennae marked thus [showing a
figure with a heavy digamma on the
basal joint and two longitudinal lines
on the second joint], though the pattern is often obscured by the fuscous suffu-
sion of the whole antennae. Note a long
continuous r-r-r-r-r, which sounds in a
small way like a Cicada, Diurnal, sing-
ing particularly on low herbs, Solidago
etc., on edges of swamps and also in dry fields.
+ Qec. 4-pimctaius ; similar to Oec.
nigricornis, but antenna1 joints marked
thus [the second joint as in the last; the basal with a reversed figure 7, the short arm followed by a dot]. Rarest of the
four species about here ; diurnal, found on herbs in dry fields. Song similar to
that of No. 3, but clearer in tone and
no doubt sufficiently distinct on close
acquaintance. I have found only two
or three of this species, in Cambridge
and Lexington.
I have found all four of these species
within a few rods of the Museum,
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