RHYNCOTA. 37 



Homer speaks of "good orators" like the Cicadse, winch 

 sitting on a tree in the woods send forth their delicate 

 voice. Virgil — not in this instance, at all events — a 

 copyist of Homer, writes : — 



" Et cantu querulse riimpent arbusta Cicadae." 



Hesiod alludes to the habit of this insect uttering his 

 musical notes at the hottest part of the day : — 



" 'Twas in that season, when on some green bough 

 High perch'd, the dusky wing'd Cicada first 

 Shrill chants to man a summer note, his diink, 

 His balmy food, the vegetative dew. 

 The livelong day from early dawn he pours 

 His voice : what time the sun's exhaustive heat 

 Fierce drys the frame." 



Mr. Tennyson represents both the Grasshopper and 

 Cigala as silent in the heat of the day : — 



" For now the noon-day quiet holds the hill, 

 The grasshopper is silent in the grass : 

 The lizard with his shadow on the stone 

 Rests like a shadow, and the Cigala sleeps." 



— ffiNONE. 



Xenarchus of Rhodes, a comic poet, finds one element 

 of happiness in the Cicada's life, in the fact that the 

 female is silent : — 



" Happy the Cicadas' lives 

 Since they all have voiceless wives." 



But probably Xenarchus was not very fortunate in his 

 matrimonial alliance. 



The Fulgoridw, or Lanthorn-flies of hot countries, 

 often of a larae size and said to be luminous in some 



