The Descent of Man

p. 427; for crickets, p. 445.) With respect to colour,
some exotic locusts are beautifully ornamented;
the posterior wings being marked with
red, blue, and black; but as throughout the Order
the sexes rarely differ much in colour, it is
not probable that they owe their bright tints to
sexual selection. Conspicuous colours may be
of use to these insects, by giving notice that
they are unpalatable. Thus it has been observed
(46. Mr. Ch. Horne, in 'Proceedings of the Entomological
Society,' May 3, 1869, p. xii.) that a
bright-coloured Indian locust was invariably
rejected when offered to birds and lizards. Some
cases, however, are known of sexual differences
in colour in this Order. The male of an
American cricket (47. The Oecanthus nivalis,
Harris, 'Insects of New England,' 1842, p. 124.
The two sexes of OE. pellucidus of Europe differ,
as I hear from Victor Carus, in nearly the
same manner.) is described as being as white as
ivory, whilst the female varies from almost
white to greenish-yellow or dusky. Mr. Walsh