22 



world of sunshine. Then suddenly he finds in himself the 

 means of expression and bursts into song. Yet, it is not a 

 song exactly, for he is a drummer rather than a singer. On his 



body just behind 



each of 

 wings 

 drum, 

 to this 



his hind 



is a kettle 



The head 



drum is of 



parchment thrown 



into folds and may 



be seen with a lens 



if you lift his wings 



and look closely. 



(Fig. 12.) Instead 



of drum sticks he 



uses a pair of 

 strong muscles to 



throw the mem- 

 branes into vibra- 

 tion and 

 there is a 

 compl ex 

 arrange- 

 ment of 

 c avi tie s 

 and sounding 

 boards around these drum heads so that the noise he gives off is 

 a great one indeed for a fellow of his size. So fond is he of mak- 

 ing music that he has no time to eat or to do aught else but to 

 sound fanfares all the sunshiny day. He is not the only musician 

 on the tree ; there are many others and they all join in 

 a swelling chorus that has been described as a roar like that 

 made by the " rushing of a strong wind through the trees." 



If our Cicada could talk to one of you Junior Naturalists he 

 would tell you that there was a good reason for all this music. 

 He would explain that only the men of the Cicada world possess 

 drums and that the object and reason of all their music was 

 the entertainment of the lady Cicadas, who are not only very 



ir. — The Cicada is full grown at last, and his 

 empty nymph skin is hanging to a branch. 



I 2. — The 

 Cicada's 

 drum. 



