78 INSECT MISCELLANIES. 



He subsequently invented a method of imitating their 

 sounds, and when he did so outside the door, at first 

 a few would venture upon a soft whisper, and by and 

 bye the whole party burst out in chorus to answer 

 him ; but upon repeating the rap at the door, they 

 instantly stopped again as if alarmed. He likewise 

 confined a male in one side of his garden, while he 

 put a female in the other at liberty, which began to 

 leap as soon as she heard the crink of the male, and 

 immediately came to him, an experiment which he 

 frequently repeated with the same result *. It is re- 

 markable that the males alone of these insects are 

 musical ; for " the females," as Swammerdam long 

 ago observed, " of locusts, grasshoppers, and others, 

 make no noise t-'* We may in passing request our 

 readers to remark, that Brunelli's insect has very long 

 antennse. 



It seems to be not illogical to infer, from the 

 variety of sounds produced by insects, that, in the 

 instance in question, as well as in many others, they 

 are intended for signals to their companions, who, 

 of course, must possess organs of hearing. The 

 drum or instrument by which the last-mentioned in- 

 sect produces its loud music has been described by 

 De Geer, and subsequently by Lichtenstein +. " Our 

 male green field-hoppers," says the former, " in that 

 part of the rii;ht wing case which is folded horizon- 

 tally over the trunk, have a round plate, made of 

 very fine transparent membrane, resembling a little 

 mirror or piece of talc, and as tense as a drum. It 

 is surrounded by a strong and prominent nervure, 

 but is concealed under the fold of the left wing case, 

 where also there are strong nervures corresponding 

 to what may be called the hoop of the drum. It is 

 exceedingly probable that the quick motion with 



* Comment. Instit. Bonon. vii. 199, &c., apud Lehmann. 

 t Biblia Naturae, i. 217. | Linn. Trans, iv. 51, 



