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fond of this drumming but are good critics of Cicada music as well. 

 He would perhaps tell you also that he had his eye on a certain 

 graceful maiden perched on the leaf between him and the sun ; 

 but she on the other hand seemed to give about equal attentionto 

 him and three other drummers situated nearby. Excited by the 

 competition and by her indifference he rattled his drum faster and 

 faster until he arose to the heights of Cicada melody and har- 

 mony that left his rivals far behind. Then the lady of his choice 

 listened spellbound and pronounced him the greatest of all 

 musicians, and thus he won his bride. However, we may safely 

 predict that their wedded life will be too full of happiness to 

 last. After a few weeks the sunshine, the music, the happiness 

 of wooing and winning will prove too much for our hero and one 

 day he will beat his drum in a last mad ecstasy and fall to earth 

 and die from happy exhaustion. His little wife may survive him 

 only long enough to cut some slits in some of the twigs of the 

 home tree and place in them rows of eggs from which shall 

 develop a family of hermits which shall come forth and fill the 

 world with their music seventeen years hence, when our Junior 

 Naturalists are men and women grown. 



There are many broods of the Cicadas in the United States 

 so that they appear in different localities in different 3^ears. 

 New York State has five well-marked broods : one in the west- 

 ern counties is due in 1900 ; a large brood on Long Island and 

 near Rochester will appear in 1902 ; another on Long Island in 

 1906 ; another in the Hudson River valley in 191 1. The brood 

 which we ask the Junior Naturalists to stud}^ this summer is 

 limited to central New York and northern Pennsylvania and is 

 called Marlatt's brood No. VII. , or Riley's brood No. XIX. As it 

 was observed first in 1797, you see this race was an " old settler " 

 in central New York and was doubtless here many years before 

 the Pilgrim fathers landed at Plymouth. So when the Junior 

 Naturalists of central New York observe the Cicada this summer 

 let them count back and see how few generations of them have 

 passed since only Indians listened when they came forth from 

 their caves and beat out their short lives in song. 



There are several other species of Cicada peculiar to America. 

 One is called Cicada tredecim since it appears every thirteen 

 years. However, this species is limited to the south. 



