APPLE TWIGS, LOCUST — OTHER SPECIES. 41 



It is possible that in some of these last cases other species may 

 have been mistaken for the seventeen-year locust, and that in 

 those instances where straggling individuals of this locust are re- 

 ported to have occurred during the intervals between the appear- 

 ance of the main swarm, other species have been confounded with 

 this, particularly the Creviced cicada, (C. rimosa, Say,) which 

 comes out in the same month, and in its colors, &c, closely re- 

 sembles the C. septemdecim* 



I have personally met with this species in two instances; the 

 first was upon the forenoon of the tenth of June, 1826, upon the 

 oaks and other trees and shrubs between West Troy and Cohoes, 

 which were covered with these insects at that date, making the 

 neighborhood ring with the discordant din of their shrill song. 

 After the long interval of seventeen years, in a grove in the town 

 of Stillwater, the same note was heard again, and was instantly 



* We have in our country several species of the large interesting insects which pertain to 

 this family. The most common one in our State is the Dog-day cicada, (C . canicvlaris — 

 Harris,) which probably is not distinct from the Frosted cicada, (C. pruinosa) of Say. It 

 appears annually in most parts of the State in autumn. The Creviced cicada (C. rimosa — 

 Fay,) and also the Bordered cicada, (C. marginata — Say,) occur also within our bounds. 

 Farther south the species become more numerous. Among a number of those sent me by Mr. 

 Robertson, from the Creek Indian Territory, the following do not appear to have been hitherto 

 described. 



The Superb Cicada (C supcrba) is of a rich olive green color, having a black band be- 

 tween the eyes, and six black spots upon the anterior margin of the middle segment of the tho- 

 rax. The abdomen above is olive-yellow, with two mealy-white spots at the base. The un- 

 der side is whitish-yellow, coated over with a mealy-white powder. The wings are clear and 

 glassy, the apical row of cells of the fore wings and the hind margin slightly smoky; the veins 

 are bright green, except those surrounding the apical row of cells, which are dark brown, and 

 the two short anastomosing outer veinlets are margined with smoky-brown, forming the usual 

 dusky W -shaped mark. This species measures an inch and three-fourths to the tips of the 

 closed wings. It occurred in August upon two small elm trees growing two. rods apart, be- 

 side a brook in the middle of a prairie, with no other trees near, and no elms within some 

 miles of these. On climbing one of these trees the cicadas, of which there were a number of 

 individuals, all flew to the other tree ; on climbing this last they all flew back ; so that on 

 climbing one tree three times and the other twice, but a single specimen could be captured, so 

 shy were they. 



Robertson's Cicada, (C. Robert sonii.) — Green, variegated with brown and black ; upper 

 side of the abdomen black and shining, with two 3 r ellowish spots near the base; middle seg- 

 ment of the thorax yellowish brown, the elevated x green, and a large green spot at the end 

 of each of its anterior horns; wings glassy-hyaline, their veins slender, green, becoming light 

 yellow "at their apices ; rib of the anterior wing edged with black on its inner side ; length t<? 

 the tip of the closed wings, in the female, two inches and fifteen hundredths. 



