TYMPANOTERPES. | 15 
Cicada consonans, Walk. List Hom. i. p. 106. 7’. 
Tympanoterpes sibilatriz, Berg, Hem. Argent. p. 210. 252’. 
Stoll, Cig. f. 117, 
Hab. Mexico (Bilimek, Mus. Vind. Ces.), Valladolid in Yucatan (Gaumer); Britiso 
Honpvras, river Sarstoon (Blancaneaux); Guatemala, Panzos, Panima, Torola, Paso 
Antonio, La Gavia (Champion).—ANTILLES 1, Trinidad (coll. Dist.), Tobago (coll. Dist.) ; 
Cotomsia, Manaure (Simons); Bouivia (Orton); ARGENTINE RePuBLic 3. 
Stal treated this species as a synonym of TZ. grossa, Fabr. The type of the 
Fabrician species, however, is in the Banksian collection contained in the British Mu- 
seum, and is very distinct, the opercula being large and rounded. 
The figure given in the ‘ Encyclopédie Méthodique’ is, like Stoll’s, useless for 
any practical purpose. Among the habitats of this wide-ranging species is that given 
by Walker 2, “ West coast of America,” which, as before remarked in connexion with 
other species, seems clearly to refer to Central America. The forms inhabiting this 
region (of which a Guatemalan specimen is figured) appear to be somewhat smaller than 
more southern specimens, or do not exhibit the gigantic specimens which are frequently 
and commonly received from the southern portion of the Neotropical Region. 
Mr. Gervase F. Mathew (Ent. Mo. Mag. xi. p. 175) gives some interesting details 
relating to this insect as observed at Tobago. As regards its powers of stridulation he 
writes of a “tropical afternoon: ”—‘“‘ Suddenly, from right above, you hear one or two 
hoarse, monotonous cries something like the croak of a tree-frog, and, looking upwards, 
wonder what it can be. But wait a moment ; this is merely a signal; for the next minute 
everywhere above and around you these croaks are repeated in rapid and increasing 
succession until they merge into a long shrill whistle almost exactly similar to the 
whistle of a first-rate locomotive; this continues for nearly half a minute, and then 
abruptly terminates.” “Presently similar cries will be heard in the far distance, as if 
in reply to those which have just died away overhead. The whistling pierces one’s ears 
to such a degree that its vibrations can be felt long after it has ceased.” 
Mr. Mathew describes this species as frequenting trees growing in ravines where the 
soil is generally soft and damp, in which their larve and pupe find no difficulty in 
burrowing. ‘ When the latter are full-grown and ready for their last transformation, 
they emerge from the ground and crawl about four or five feet up the trunk of a tree, 
when they firmly fix themselves to the bark by means of their powerfully hooked fore 
tibie.” “The flight of the mature Cicada is abrupt, rapid, and by no means graceful ; 
and it does not appear to have the power of controlling itself when on the wing; for I 
have often seen it fly in an insane manner against the trunk of a tree, a branch, or any 
other object that might be in its line of flight ; and when it has performed its journey 
without any accident, it alights abruptly and awkwardly. As a rule, however, it does 
not attempt to fly to any great distance at a time.” 
