THE CIGALE 47 



of the twig. The aperture is not closed, except by the 

 bunch of woody fibres, which, parted at the moment 

 when the eggs are laid, recover themselves when the 

 double saw of the oviduct is removed. Sometimes, but 

 by no means always, you may see between the fibres a 

 tiny glistening patch like a touch of dried white of egg. 

 This is only an insignificant trace of some albuminous 

 secretion accompanying the egg or facilitating the work 

 of the double saw of the oviduct. 



Immediately below the aperture of the perforation is 

 the egg chamber : a short, tunnel-shaped cavity which 

 occupies almost the whole distance between one opening 

 and that lying below it. Sometimes the separating parti- 

 tion is lacking, and the various chambers run into one 

 another, so that the eggs, although introduced by the 

 various apertures, are arranged in an uninterrupted row. 

 This arrangement, however, is not the most usual. 



The contents of the chambers vary greatly. I find in 

 each from six to fifteen eggs. The average is ten. The 

 total number of chambers varying from thirty to forty, 

 it follows that the Cigale lays from three to four hundred 

 eggs. Reaumur arrived at the same figures from an 

 examination of the ovaries. 



This is truly a fine family, capable by sheer force of 

 numbers of surviving the most serious dangers. I do 

 not see that the adult Cigale is exposed to greater dangers 

 than any other insect : its eye is vigilant, its departure 

 sudden, and its flight rapid ; and it inhabits heights at 

 which the prowling brigands of the turf are not to be 

 feared. The sparrow, it is true, will greedily devour it. 

 From time to time he will deliberately and meditatively 

 descend upon the plane-trees from the neighbouring roof 



