394 NOISES or insects. 



a hive to oblige the bees to retire to the top of it, liic 

 queen with some of the rest flew away. Upon this, 

 thcisc iliat remained in the hive sent forth a most plain- 

 tive sound, as if they were all deploring their loss : 

 when their sovereign was restored to them, these lugu- 

 fcrious sounds were succeeded by an agreeable hum- 

 ining, which announced their joy at the event ^ Hu- 

 ber 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 w ith those that may be 

 esteemed the most musical insects, the grasshopper 

 tribes (Grf/llidce), and the long celebrated Cicada (3W- 

 iigoiiia, F.), You would suppose, perhaps, that the 

 ladies would bear their share in these amatory strains. 

 But here you would be mistaken — female insects are 

 too intent upon tlieir business, too coy and reserved to 

 tell their love even to the winds. — The males alone 



" Formosani resonare docent Amaryllida sylvas." 



With respect to the Cicadoi, this was observed by 

 Aristotle ; and Pliny, as usual, has retailed it after 

 bim*^. The observation also holds good with respect 

 to the Gri/Uid(B and other insects, probably, whose 

 love is musical. Olivier however has noticed an ex- 

 ception to this doctrine ; for he relates, that in a spe- 



• Scbirach, 73— " i. 226—. 



" Aristot. Hist. Anlm. I. v. e. 30. Pliii. HUt. Nal. 1. xl. c. '26. 



