56 CIOABTDiE. 



the metathoracic cross); abdomen consisting of six segments 

 and an anal appendage ; anterior femora incrassated and nearly 

 always more or less spino.se beneath ; tegmina and ^vings usually 

 hyaline, sometimes opaque, their venation distinct and usually 

 furcate in ramification, but occasionally reticulate. To these cha- 

 racters may be added those given by Hansen, viz.: no empodium: 

 second pair of abdominal spiracles placed in a transverse ventral 

 furrow, looking anteriorly and medianly ; third to seventh pairs 

 placed in the sternites, not in the pleura. 



The terms used in subsequent descriptions for structural details 

 are explained in the accompanving figure (p. 55). 



The Cicadidte possess a distinctive attribute in their loud stridu- 

 lation, which is, however, confined to the males. Xenarchus long 

 since wrote, " Happy the Cicadas's lives, for they all have voiceless 

 wives."' The sound given forth varies in intensity, but is scarcely 

 to be described as a musical production ; it has been differently 

 described by travellers in various parts of the world as resembling 

 a rail\vay-\\'histle, a knife-grinder, razor-grinder, &c., while some 

 field-naturalists maintain that the noise is distributed \\ith the 

 power of a ventriloquist, and that it is difficult to locate the 

 insects by their cries ; the writer's experience, however, both in 

 the Ethiopian and Oriental Eegions, scarcely confirms this hypo- 

 thesis. The structure and mechanism of the sound-producing 

 apparatus liave been studied and described by a number of ento- 

 mologists and other naturalists, of whom we may mention the 

 names of Eeaumiu', Goureau and Solier, Duges, Landois, Maj^er, 

 Carlet, and Jno. C. Gallon. Of these perhaps Carlet has given us 

 the best information, or at all e^'ents the foundation on which others 

 have worked. The sound-producing apparatus is covered beneath 

 by two flaps, which, as pointed out by AVestwood, are, " in fact, the 

 dilated sides of the metasternum ; " these have been sometimes 

 incorrectly referred to as " drums," but are really covering-flaps, 

 or, as they are generally called (and in this volume alluded to), 

 opercula. These structures in shape, length, and direction fre- 

 quently afford the most reliable dift'ereutiation for species, and in 

 the Dundubiaria exhibit the most striking variety. The real drums 

 or tympana are laterally situate near the upper surface of the base 

 of the abdomen, and are either concealed by tympanal coverings 

 as in the Cicadime, partially concealed as in the Gseaninaj, or 

 completely exposed as in the Tibicininte. The females are pro- 

 vided with a strongly developed ovipositor, by which they are 

 enabled to pierce the branches of trees and there deposit their 

 eggs, which in some cases amount to a very large number. 



The Cicadas are victims fo many enemies and are apparently 

 defenceless creatures. Among their persecutors may be mentioned 

 species of Mantis (Orthoptera), spiders, dragon-flies, hornets, 

 wasps, AsiUdcr (Diptera), and many birds ; they have also been 

 found to be devoured by trout both in Japan and iNew Zealand, 

 and are used as food by some of the primitive races of mankind. 

 In India, as I am informed by Mr. E. M. Dixon, they afford pre}'^ 

 to the Lesser Kestrel {Tinmmculus cenchris) and the Shikra {Astur 



