OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 153 



The grasshoppers, however, are not heard till into July, lor though 

 they are hopping about during the early part of the growing season, 

 they do not attain their wings till ttie time indicated. Thus, during 

 spring, while our birds are making love, and the males rival each other 

 in their attempts to please the females with happy, jubilant song, 

 Dame Nature is rearing a troupe of insect musicians, which, in their 

 turn, will string their lyres and play their courtship-tunes in the later 

 seasons, when the song of the feathered performers is mostly hushed. 



Leyden's lines — 



Oft have 1 listening mused the sultry day 



And wondered vvliat thy chirping song naight say — 



but express an inquiry often made as to the purpose and object of 

 the grasshopper song. He who believes all things made for man and 

 his enjoyment, and that nothing can have a purpose that does not 

 include him in its scope, will not find an answer to the query ; and 

 should remember that ere man grew out of savagery the earth rang 

 again with song and sound. Nor will the poet be likely to get from 

 Katydid any more satisfactory answer than that — 



" I sit among the leaves here, when evening zephyrs sigh. 

 And those that listen to my voice I love to mystify ; 

 I never tell them all I know, altho' I'm often bid, 

 I laugh at curiosity, and chirrup, 'Katy did.' " 



But to the mind of the naturalist, trained in deciphering Nature's 

 hieroglyphs, the chattering song is very plainly inspired by love. The 

 male Katydid doubtless feels something of the same satisfaction in 

 playing to his companions, and especially to Katy, as a prima donna 

 does in singing to an audience. There is a pleasure in the act which 

 is the outcome of its being ; and the fact that the males are principally 

 the players, shows that the gift is not only a source of pleasure, but 

 one of much importance to the species ; for the rivalry among the males 

 is as great as among higher animals, and a good instrument becomes, 

 in this light, most important to the individual and to the species. The 

 best player wins his coveted love, while the feeble and cripple stand 

 no chance to impair the vigor of the race. 



The Locusts* (Acrididce) stridulate for the most part by rubbing 

 the inner surface of the hind legs against the outer surface of the 



* It is to be regretted that American eutoraolosical writers do not more sti-ictlv follow Harris in 

 <'oaforming to the English custom of culling these insects— with short antennaj and stridulating by 

 means of the stout hind legs— by the popular term of " locusts," which is in keeping with ancient 

 usage. The tenn " gi-asshopper" would then be conlhied to the long-horned and long-legged, green 

 iri-oup, stridulating solely with the Mings, in which the species are more solitary and never congregate 



seems to me that the change is desirable, and if popular authors would only continue the "example of 

 Harris, the change would come about Avith the greater dissemination of entoiuological intbrmatiou. 



11 — K R 



