THE SPEECH OF INSECTS. ' 



BY SANFORD OMENSKTTER. 



The "speech" of insects? Why not? Although by 

 development unfit to put the crude processes of low mentality 

 into language, their notes at times respond to the promptings 

 of fear, distress or danger. But 'tis mainly when moved by 

 the tender passion that insects break forth into audible 

 expression. 



Among butterflies and the night loving moths, the gaudy 

 colors of most species serve to attract the sexes. The sombre 

 hued crickets and other weak voiced nations of the grass ; 

 the cicada, half hidden in the summer foliage; and others, 

 less seen and less familiar, to whom nature has denied entic- 

 ing raiment, must needs have other means to show their 

 whereabouts, and to the males of these the law of compensa- 

 tion has decreed what in the human corresponds to speech. 



This ai-ticle claims no warrant of originality. The obser- 

 vations are in the main those of others. A slight attempt 

 to arrange them has been made during the few spare moments 

 of a busy life. 



Some sounds of insects have roused much dread among 

 the superstitious. Probably the most alarming, common to 

 the European genus Anobium, has been the noise issuing 

 from old timber or old books, resembling the ticking of a 

 watch. Legend credited the insect with foretelling the 

 coming of the rider on the pale horse, and hence it was com- 

 monly called the death watch. According to Latreille, the 

 male (and in this case also the female), at the period of 

 mating, strike many times successively and rapidly with 

 their mandibles the wainscot where they are placed, and 

 mutually answer each other's signal, and such is the cause of 

 the ominous ticking. Sir Thomas Browne considered the 

 reputation of the death watch of great importance, and 

 remarked that the man " who could eradicate this error from 

 the minds of the people, would save from many a cold sweat 



