48 SOCIAL LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD 



and snatch up the singer, who squeaks despairingly. A 

 few blows of the beak and the Cigale is cut into quarters, 

 delicious morsels for the nestlings. But how often does 

 the bird return without his prey ! The Cigale, foreseeing 

 his attack, empties its intestine in the eyes of its assailant 

 and flies away. 



But the Cigale has a far more terrible enemy than the 

 sparrow. This is the green grasshopper. It is late, and 

 the Cigales are silent. Drowsy with light and heat, they 

 have exhausted themselves in producing their symphonies 

 all day long. Night has come, and with it repose ; but a 

 repose frequently troubled. In the thick foliage of the 

 plane-trees there is a sudden sound like a cry of anguish, 

 short and strident. It is the despairing lamentation of 

 the Cigale surprised in the silence by the grasshopper, 

 that ardent hunter of the night, which leaps upon the 

 Cigale, seizes it by the flank, tears it open, and devours 

 the contents of the stomach. After the orgy of music 

 comes night and assassination. 



I obtained an insight into this tragedy in the following 

 manner : I was walking up and down before my door at 

 daybreak when something fell from the neighbouring 

 plane-tree uttering shrill squeaks. I ran to see what it 

 was. I found a green grasshopper eviscerating a strug- 

 gling Cigale. In vain did the latter squeak and gesticu- 

 late ; the other never loosed its hold, but plunged its 

 head into the entrails of the victim and removed them 

 by little mouthfuls. 



This was instructive. The attack was delivered high 

 up above my head, in the early morning, while the Cigale 

 was resting ; and the struggles of the unfortunate creature 

 as it was dissected alive had resulted in the fall of assailant 



