252 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. 



been predicted by observers, roade its appearance in the 

 southerly parts of the State, we take this occasion to draAV 

 attention to its strange and unwonted habits, and to solicit 

 aid from observers in the State in determining its natural 

 boundaries. I should be greatly obliged if any persons in 

 every town in the State in which it appeared would let me 

 know of the fact, that we may ascertain its range. While it 

 has been known to appear in the south-eastern part of the 

 State, and even as far east as Plymouth, situated on Massa- 

 chusetts Bay, we want to know in what towns to the north of 

 this it has appeared. The point is of much interest to natu- 

 ralists, as in determining the northern boundary of the dis- 

 trict it inhabits, which undoubtedly accords with certain lines 

 of temperature which regulate the distribution of many other 

 insects and plants, we may throw much light on the phj^sical 

 geography and meteorology of our State. The cicada also 

 often does much injury to fruit-trees, especially in the West, 

 and it is thus, aside from its deeply interesting and unique 

 mode of life, an object of solicitude to farmers. 



The most remarkable fact about this creature is, that while 

 so far as we know, the other species of cicada pass but a year 

 in attaining the winged state, the present one lives under- 

 ground over sixteen, assuming at the end of seventeen years 

 the perfect winged state. We have seen that the May beetle 

 is about three years in obtaining the beetle state, and the 

 wire-worms and boring-beetles, such as the apple-borer, may 

 be four or five years in the larval condition, but no other in- 

 sects are as yet known, with this sole remarkable exception, 

 to be so lonij-lived in their immature state. 



The remarks that we have to make are simply supple- 

 mentary to what the reader may find in Dr. Harris's admira- 

 ble account in his "Treatise." He brings out the important 

 fact that these insects are said, in the larval state, to do much 

 injury to apple and pear trees by drawing the sap from the 

 roots, so that the tree may decline in health for years without 

 any apparent cause. This needs to be substantiated by fiir- 

 ther observation. As regards the kinds of this I may quote 

 from a communication from William Kite in the "American 

 Naturalist," vol. H., p. 442, as confirming and adding some- 

 what to Dr. Harris's statements : " Seeing in the July number 



