174 BORING TOOLS. 
mile distance—hence he has obtained the name of 
‘the harper’ (lerman). Virgil says the Italian 
cicadz burst the very shrubs with the noise they 
make :— 
Et cantu querule rumpent arbusta cicada. 
I was curious to watch the female depositing her 
egos. She first clasps the branch both sides with 
her legs, and with the end of the file very care- 
fully slits up the bark ; then, placing the instrument 
longitudinally, files away until she has obtained 
sufficient length and breadth. The small teeth 
of the files are now used crosswise of this fissure, 
until a trench is made in the soft pith. When 
large enough, slowly down the groove in the 
centre of the instrument glides a small pearly 
ege, pointed at both ends, and so transparent 
that the little grub within is easily discernible. 
Gently she lays it within its bed, and then drops 
a thin gummy material on it, to secure it from 
moisture. This finished, she proceeds to deposit 
another, and so on, until a sufficient number are 
produced to fill the fissure; then over all she drags 
the everted bark. It is easy to perceive where 
the cicada has been concealing her brood, by the 
elevation on the branch. In this manner she 
deposits about seven hundred eggs, going from 
