94 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



Perhaps the consumption of the midnight oil and 

 the early rising of college students may also, in some 

 measure, be attributed to the friendly hints of these 

 interesting Insects. 



The Cicada, improperly called Locust, contains a 

 number of species. The Red-eyed Cicada (Cicada sep- 

 tendecim), (Tab. IV. Fig. 17), which in all entomologi- 

 cal works, particularly in the United States, is called 

 the Seventeen-years Locust, makes its appearance every 

 year according to my observations when abroad, and 

 during my twenty-two years' residence in this country 

 I have seen some of them every year, but myriads in 

 1829, 1834, 1843, and afterwards. 



Linnaeus gave the specific name " Septendecim" to 

 the Red-eyed American Cicada, because with the spec- 

 imens of this insect sent him from America, he was told 

 that it appeared only every seventeen years ; an opin- 

 ion that still now extensively prevails throughout our 

 country. But reasoning from analogy alone contro- 

 verts this opinion; for if we consider that all other 

 species of Cicadas, either of the same size, or larger, or 

 smaller, subject to the same metamorphosis and man- 

 ner of living, spend only two years in attaining their 

 perfect condition, why should the Iled-eyed Cicada 

 alone form an exception to this natural law of their 

 species ? 



But facts speak in an unanswerable tone in this mat- 



