390 NOISES OF INSECTS. 



which announced their joy at the event*. Huber relates, 

 that once when all the worker-brood was removed from 

 a hive, and only male brood left, the bees appeared in a 

 state of extreme despondency. Assembled in clusters 

 upon the combs, they lost all their activity. The queen 

 dropped her eggs at random ; and instead of the usual 

 active hum, a dead silence reigned in the hive*^. 



But love is the soul of song with those that may be es- 

 teemed the most musical insects, the grasshopper tribes 

 {Gtyllhia and Locicstina)y and the long celebrated Ci- 

 cada. You would suppose, perhaps, that the ladies 

 would bear their share in these amatory strains. But 

 here vou would be mistaken — female insects are too 

 intent upon their business, too coy and reserved to tell 

 their love even to the winds. — The males alone 

 " Formosam resonare doceiit Aniaryllida sylvas." 



With respect to the Cicada', this was observed by Aris- 

 totle : and Pliny, as usual, has retailed it after him *^. 

 The observation also holds good with respect to the 

 Grj/llhia, &c., and other insects, probably, whose love 

 is musical. Olivier however has noticed an exception to 

 this doctrine ; for he relates, that in a species of beetle 

 {Moluris striata), the female has a round granulated spot 

 in the middle of the second segment of the abdomen, by 

 striking which against any hard substance, she produces 

 a rather loud sound, and that the male, obedient to this 

 call, soon attends her, and they pair''. 



As I have nothing to communicate to you with re- 

 spect to the love-songs of other insects, my further ob- 



=• Schirach,>73-. " i. 226— . 



" Aristot. Hist. A)iim. 1. v. c. 30. Plin. Hisf. Nal. 1. xi. c. 26. 



^ Oliv. Entomol. i. Pref. ix. 



