CH. XIII. J HISTORY OF THE CICADA. 197 



its shell for some hours, or until its wings are dry 

 and sufficiently strong for flying. There appeared 

 to be two varieties of the cicada, one much smaller 

 than the other : there was also a striking difference 

 in their notes. The smaller variety was more com- 

 mon in the bottom lands, and the larger on the hills. 

 Their flight was short, seldom exceeding eight or 

 ten rods, and their whole lives appeared to be spent 

 near the place of their nativity. They inserted in 

 the smooth bark of young trees their short sharp 

 proboscis, through which they sucked the juice ; and 

 when driven from the spot a drop of liquid issued 

 from the puncture : they would also, when disturbed, 

 throw out a small jet of thin watery liquid, as if in 

 self-defence. While in their perfect state, they 

 served as food for all the carnivorous and insect- 

 eating animals. Hogs eat them in preference to 

 any other food ; squirrels, birds, domestic fowls, &c., 

 fattened on them. So much were they attracted 

 by the cicada, that very few birds were seen around 

 our gardens during their continuance ; and our cher- 

 ries remained unmolested. By the fourth or fifth 

 day after they left the earth, the female began to 

 deposite her eggs in the tender branches of most 

 kinds of orchard and forest trees. She generally 

 selected the wood of the last year's growth, and 

 commenced her task on the underside of the twig, 

 by shtting the bark with her puncturing instrument." 

 This is made of two files, which are so held to- 

 gether by a third piece as to allow them to play al- 

 ternately, and, at the same time, to keep them par- 

 allel to each other, in order that the alternate 

 movement of these two files should be exactly in 

 the same plane. There is a beautiful arrangement 

 of ridges and furrows to receive them in the differ- 

 ent pieces composing the ovipositor, so nicely ad- 

 justed, that, while we marvel at the skill of the 

 contriver, we cannot but be surprised at the perfect 

 ease with which the effect is produced. After the 



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