THE SENSES AND THEIR ORGANS. 315 



fact has long been known, as is evident from the old witticism attribnted 



to the incorrigible Rhodian sensualist Xenarchus, who alludes in 



T^ ^^r ^^^^ following terms to the cause of that great happiness which 



' was popularly attributed to these insects, and which seemed to 



the common folk to make them apt images of the gods : — 



" Happy the C'icadiis' lives, 

 Since they all have voiceless wives ! " ' 



The fact here noted is probably true of insects generally, as in most 

 cases females cannot utter sounds, and stridulating organs are limited to 

 males. Yet there are some exceptions which add perplexity as 

 Excep- ^^^pjj .^g interest to the problem. For example, the stridulating 

 organs possessed by the Pha.smidte above alluded to are, accord- 

 ing to Professor Wood-Mason, found in the females, thus furnishing a case 

 in which functional stridulating organs are present with that sex. Another 

 example of power to stridulate on the part of female insects is that of 

 Cicada montana.^ 



Passing to the other extreme of the Arthropods, we find examples of 

 stridulating among Crustaceans and Scorpions. Mr. Darwin, alluding to 

 stridulation among spiders as recorded by Professor Westring, makes the 

 remark that tliis is the first case known to him, in the ascending scale of 

 the animal kingdom, of sounds emitted for this purpose.* But we are 

 now able to embrace other Arthropods among the music making animals 

 belonging to the lower orders. 



Mr. -J. Saekville Kent discovered sound producing properties in a Crus- 

 tacean, a species of Spheroma. He was not able to ascertain the exact 

 method in which the sound was produced, nor whether the ani- 

 Stridu- ,,j,^ jjj^g organs specially adapted for the purpose. On numerous 

 |f*"^^ occasions, however, he heard the sound made by this little creat- 

 ceans. ^"'^i ^ Crustacean scarcely one-fourth of an inch long. The ani- 

 mal was confined withiji a glass jar, of which it was the. only 

 occupant, and the noise made was a little sharp tapping sound, produced 

 three or four times consecutively, with intervals of about one second's 

 duration. 



The observer could almost exactly imitate it by striking the side of 

 the jar with the pointed end of a pipette. The character and intensity 

 of the sound produced, associated with the small size of the animal, in- 

 duced him to believe that it was caused by the sudden flexion and ex- 

 tension of the creature's body.'* 



' See Cowan's Curious History of Insects, page 250. 



^ See Trans. Lond. Soc, 1877, page xvi. 



^ Descent of Man, Vol. II., American Edition, Chapter IX., page 330. 



* Nature, November 1st, 1877, page 11. See also Proc. Lond. Ent. Soc, 1877, page xxvii. 



