Avierivan Cicada or Loafsf, 49 



small jet of thin watery liquid, as if in self defeace. From their be- 

 ing unprovided with organs for eating, it would seem that their whole 

 business during their short visit to the surface of the earth, was to 

 propagate their species and to die. WJiilo here they served for 

 food for all the carnivorous and insect-eatius; animals. Hos:s eat 

 them in preference to any otlier food j squirrels, birds, domestic 

 fowls, &:c. fattened on them. So much were they attracted by the 

 cicada}, that very few birds were seen around our gardens during their 

 continuance, and our cherries, &:c. remained unmolested. By the 

 fourdi or fifth day after their leaving the earth, the female began to 

 deposit her eggs in the tender branches of most kinds of orchard and 

 forest trees. She generally selected the wood of last years' growth, 

 and commenced her task on the under side of the twig, by slitting the 

 bark with her puncturing instrument, which embraced the properties 

 both of a saw and a punch, the point being lancet-shaped and ser- 

 rated, and then making a hole in an oblique direction to the pidi of 

 the branch, she withdrew the instrument a little way, and deposited 

 an egg througli a tube in the puncli. This was repeated until from 

 ten to twenty eggs were deposited on each side of the center of the 

 pith, the center wood having been previously comminuted and cut up 

 so as to make a soft bed for the eggs, and to afford food for the em- 

 bryo until it hatched. There was daily an evident increase in the 

 size of the eggs, until they were hatched, and an evident diminution 

 of the comminuted woody fibres and enlargement of (he cells con- 

 taining the eggs, so that they must have derived some sustenance from 

 the juices of die_ twig. Another proof that they did so, was, diat the 

 eggs invariably perished in diose branches vv^hich withered and dried 

 up soon after the punctures were made. This work continued from 

 day to day, imtil -die female had expended her stock of eggs, which, 

 so far as I could ascertain, amounted to about one thousand. Wjien 

 this operation was completed, the object of her existence seemed to 

 be fulfilled, and in a few days she dwindled away and died. The 

 whole period of the life of a single individual, from her leaving the 

 eardi to her death, averaged from twenty to twenty-five days. The 

 life of the male continued for nearly the same time. When the ci- 

 cada first leave die earth, they are plump and fuil of oily juices, so 

 much so that they were made use of iji tlie manufacture of soap ; 

 but before their death they were dried up to mere shells; and I 

 have seen them still a])le to fly a few feet, after one half of the body 

 was wasted awa^, and notliing remained but the head, wings and 



Vol. XVJII.— No. 1. ^ 7 



Mo.Bot.Gsrden 



rn/VT 



