174 BORING TOOLS. 



mile distance hence he has obtained the name of 

 'the harper' (Herman). Virgil says the Italian 

 cicada burst the very shrubs with the noise they 

 make : 



Et cantu querulse rumpent arbusta cicadse. 



I was curious to watch the female depositing her 

 eggs. She first clasps the branch both sides with 

 her legs, and with the end of the file very care- 

 fully slits up the bark ; then, placing the instrument 

 longitudinally, files away until she has obtained 

 sufficient length and breadth. The small teeth 

 of the files are now used crosswise of this fissure, 

 until a trench is made in the soft pith. When 

 large enough, slowly down the groove in the 

 centre of the instrument glides a small pearly 

 egg, pointed at both ends, and so transparent 

 that the little grub within is easily discernible. 

 Gently she lays it within its bed, and then drops 

 a thin gummy material on it, to secure it from 

 moisture. This finished, she proceeds to deposit 

 another, and so on, until a sufficient number are 

 produced to fill the fissure ; then over all she drags 

 the everted bark. It is easy to perceive where 

 the cicada has been concealing her brood, by the 

 elevation on the branch. In this manner she 

 deposits about seven hundred eggs, going from 



