NOISES OF INSECTS. 499 



including the genera Fulgnra, Cicada, Tetlix, and Tctfigonia.^ The Fidgorce 

 appear to be night singers, while the Cicadcs sing usually in the day. The 

 great lantern-fly (-Fj^^oj-rt laternarki),\'vom its noise in the evening — nearly 

 resembling the sound of a cymbal, or razor-grinder when at work — is 

 called Scare-sleep by the Dutch in Guiana. It begins regularly at sunset.^ 

 Perhaps an insect mentioned by Ligon as making a great noise in the 

 night, in Barbadoes, may belong to this tribe. " There is a kind of animal 

 in the woods," says he, " that I never saw, which lie all day in holes and 

 hollow trees, and as soon as the sun is down begin their tunes, which are 

 neither singing nor crying, but the shrillest voices I ever heard : notliing 

 can be so nearly resembled to it as the mouths of a pack of small beagles 

 at a distance ; and so lively and chirping the noise is as nothing can be 

 more delightfnl to the ears, if there were not too much of it ; for the 

 music has no intermission till morning, and then all is husht."^ 



The species of the other genus, Cicada, called by the ancient Greeks — 

 by whom they were often kept in cages for the sake of their song — Tettix, 

 seem to have been the favourites of every Grecian bard from Homer and 

 Hesiod to Anacreon and Theocritus. Supposed to be perfectly harmless, 

 and to live only upon the dew, they were addressed by the most endear- 

 ing epithets, and were regarded as all but divine. One bard entreats the 

 shepherds to spare the innoxious Tettix, that nightingale of the Nymphs, 

 and to make those mischievous birds the thrush and blackbird their jjrey. 

 Sweet prophet of the summer, says Anacreon, addressing this insect, the 

 Muses love thee, Phoebus himself loves thee, and has given thee a shrill 

 song ; old age does not wear thee out ; thou art wise, earth-born, musical, 

 impassive, without blood ; thou art almost like a god.* So attached were 

 the Athenians to these insects, that they were accustomed to fasten golden 

 images of them in their hair, implying at the same time a boast that they 

 themselves, as well as the Cicada2, were TcrrcB filii. They were regarded 

 indeed by all as the happiest as well as the most innocent of animals 

 — not, we will suppose, for the reason given by the saucy Rhodian Xe- 

 narchus, when he says, . 



" Happy the Cicadas' lives, 

 Since they all liave voiceless wives." 



If the Grecian Tettix ov Cicada had been distinguished by a harsh and 

 deafening note, like those of some other countries, it would hardly have 

 been an object of such affection. That it was not, is clearly proved by 

 the connection which was supposed to exist between it and music. Thus 

 the sound of this insect and of the harp were called by one and the same 

 namc.^ A Cicada sitting upon a harp was a usual emblem of the science 

 of music, which was thus accounted for: — When two rival musicians, 

 Eunomus and Ariston, were contending upon that instrument, a Cicada 

 flying to the former and sitting upon his harp supplied the place of a 



1 Zoolog. Journ. No. iv. 429. 



2 Stedman's Surinam, ii. 37. Dr. Hancock, however (Proceed. Zool. Soc. Jnne 

 24. 1834"), states that the razor-grinder, or aria-aria of the natives, is a species of 

 Cicada (C. clarisona), and that the Fulgora rarely sing. 



3 Hist, of Barbadoes, (Jo. 



* Epigramm, Delect, 45. 234. ^ Gr. TiiiTKrf).(x, 



KIC 2 



