1903 A Naturalists Notes from China 233 



much original work there is yet to be clone ; how com- 

 paratively little we still know in these "enlightened" days 

 of the interesting organisms perpetually living their little 

 life around us ; and how far we still are from the possibility 

 of compiling that Utopian ultima thule — actually attempted 

 by Stephens, Curtis, and Wood — a complete and perfect 

 catalogue of British insects. 



A Naturalist's Notes from China. 



By J. C. Kershaw, F.E.S. 



1. A Characteristic Tropical Insect. 



One of the first features of tropical and subtropical 

 climates to strike the visitor, is the incessant stridulous 

 noise made by insects of many genera, during the day 

 chiefly by cicadas, at night chiefly by crickets. In countries 

 where there is little variation of temperature throughout 

 the year, this insect orchestra performs uninterruptedly ; but 

 in the south of China there are three or four months of 

 moderately cold weather during the winter or dry season, 

 say from December to January inclusive, and in that 

 period there is an almost total cessation of these sounds. 



The family Cicadidas may certainly take front rank 

 amongst insects as noise-producers. Whether the stridula- 

 tions act as a warning or intimidation to birds in general 

 is open to doubt, as it is not uncommon to see bulbuls 

 (Otocompsa) chasing them on the wing, probably in sport, 

 as they never appear to capture them ; but some bird 

 certainly do attack cicadas, as we have seen a black mynah 

 {Acridotheres cristatellus) fly off with one of the large 

 species in his bill, the insect meanwhile grinding away for 

 all it was worth. 



There are many species of cicadas in China, but this 

 one {Cryptotympana recta, Walker) is perhaps the com- 

 monest, as it is also the largest, and is accountable for the 

 greater part of the " scissors-grinding," but it commences 

 its song later than several other species, not till about the 



