* S . u n d u l i f e r , Walk,—Another of the numerous Grasshoppers,
a medium-sized, variegated brown one, of which Mr. Walker gives
the following description:—“ Male testaceous. Head above and
disk of the prothorax luteoUs. Head slightly ascending, with a
nearly linear furrow between the eyes ; front with four slight keels.
Antennse black, somewhat shorter than the body, tawny at the base.
Prothorax on each side, with a large black patch, which emits an
undulating black line to the foreborder. Pour anterior femora with
some black marks; hind femora with a ramose black streak on each
side. Wings much shorter than the abdomen. Porewings with
three rows of black spots. Length of the body eight and a half
lines.”
*S . v i t t i f e r , Walk.—Another medium-sized Grasshopper, of a
brown colour, which is described by Mr. Walker as follows!—
“ Male brown. Head and thorax with a testaceous stripe. Antennse
much shorter than the body. Prothorax with a black stripe
on each side of the testaceous stripe; lateral keels curved inward, a
large pale testaceous patch on each side. Abdomen and legs tawny ;
hind femora green beneath, with a short black streak on the outer
side. Spines of the hind tibiae with black tips. Wings cinereous,
much shorter than the abdomen. Porewings with a row of brown
dots in the disk. Length of the body eight lines.”
There are doubtless other species of Grasshoppers inhabiting the
high lands, which would well repay the attention of any future
collector.
Tinaria, Stal.
*T. c a l c a r a t a , Stal, E u g . Eesa. 3 3 8 , p i. 5 , f. 8 .
* T . s a n c t s e h e le n s e , Stal, Eug. Eesa. 338.
O rd er N eu r o pt er a .
This order, though small in numbers, is represented by the
White Ant, and is, perhaps, on that account, one of the most important
in the list. I t contains one native species only.
Fam. Libellulidte.
Libellula, Linn.
L. sp. P •—The common large red-bodied Dragon-fly, which
is abundant all over the Island.
Fam. Ilemerohiida.
Chrysopa, Leach.
C. c o n g r u a , Walk.—One of the green Lace-wing-flies. In habits
also West and South Africa.
O. v u l g a r i s , Schneid.—Another species.
*C. e x u l , M'Lach.—A very beautiful pale-green gauze or Lace-
wing-fly, a Dative found in hay-fields and flower-gardens on the high
land, but not very abundant. Ent. Mon. Mag. vol. vi. p. 23. 1869.-
Fam. Termitidce.
Termes, Linn.
T . t e n u i s , Hagen.—White Ants, as they are called, were introduced
into the Island, in the year 1840, in some timber from
a slave-ship captured by H.M. cruisers on the West Coast of
Africa, and sent to St. Helena for adjudication. The identical spot
where this timber was deposited in the town is pointed out to this
day, the whole population of the place having good reason to
remember the surreptitious entrance into their camp of an enemy
such as Termites have proved. The species was supposed to be of
African origin, until, three years ago, I brought some specimens to
England, and, through the kindness of Mr. H. W. Bates, it
was identified by Mr. M'Lachlan as one peculiar to tropical
America: as many of the slavers were Brazilian vessels, it is easy to
understand how both timber and Termites originally came from
that quarter. After their appearance in the town, a quarter of a
century passed by without much evidence of the terrible work of
destruction in which they were engaged. I t was known that they
were eating hooks, furniture, papers, and clothes, with occasionally a
beam or two in the houses, hut no one entertained the idea that in
an additional five or six years their houses would be in ruins and an
expenditure of 60,000/. at least imperatively necessary to reconstruct
them. - Such, however, has happened. Public and private
interests have alike suffered to a large extent, and the whole
colony has been taxed beyond its powers merely to replace what a
few years before it possessed.
I t was a melancholy sight five years ago to see the town, which
had hitherto not been without its claims for admiration, devastated as