INSECT MUSICIANS SNODGRASS 



421 



them thus : tek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-ek-tzip. But, however the 

 song of Microcentrum is to be translated into English, it contains 

 no suggestion of the notes of his famous cousin, the true katydid. 

 Yet most people confuse the two species, or, rather, hearing the one 

 and seeing the other, they draw the obvious conclusion that the 

 one seen makes the sounds that are heard. 



The angular-winged katydids are very gentle and unsuspicious 

 creatures, allowing themselves to be picked up without any attempt 

 at escaping. But they are good fliers, and when launched into the 

 air sail about like miniature airplanes, with their large wings spread 

 out straight on each side. When at rest they have a comical habit 

 of leaning over sideways as if their tall, flat forms were top-heavy. 



THE TRUE KATYDID 



We now come to that artist who bears by right the name of 

 "katydid," the insect (fig. 10) known to science as Pterophylla 



Fig. 10. — The true katydid, Pterophylla camellifolia, male (one-fourth larger than 



natural size) 



camellifolia, and to the American public as the greatest of insect 

 singers. Whether the katydid is really a great musician or not, of 

 course, depends upon the critic, but of his fame there can be no 

 question, for his name is a household term as familiar as that of any 

 of our own great artists, notwithstanding that there is no phono- 

 graphic record of his music. To be sure, the cicada has more of a 

 world-wide reputation than the katydid, for he has representatives 

 in many lands, fyut he has not put his song into words the public can 

 understand. And if simplicity be the test of true art, the song of 

 the katydid stands the test, for nothing could be simpler than 

 merely katy-did, or its easy variations, such as katy, katy-slie-did 

 and haty-didnH. 



Yet though the music of the katydid is known by ear or by repu- 

 tation to almost every native American, but few of us are acquainted 



