70 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



with that manna of which the Israelites did eat in the wil 

 derness. This supposition, however, is probably incorrect, 

 because the substance of which we speak is very cathartic, 

 and is used as such even at the present day. But Ehren- 

 berg discovered another species on Mount Sinai, produced 

 upon the Tamarisk-tree by the stings of a Plant-louse (Coc 

 cus manniparus), which tastes like honey, and which may 

 possibly be identical with that mentioned in the Bible. 

 The Red-eyed Cicada (Cicada Septemdecitn, Fig. 17), with 



Figure 13 



The Lyerman. 



red-bordered wings, and the LYERMAN (Cicada tibiccn, Fig. 

 18), with green-bordered wings, arc the most conspicuous 

 species of North America. But the natural history of all 

 the different species is the same. All have an inflected 

 snout, very short setaceous antennae, four membranaceous 

 wings, and six feet. The females have a long, horny ovi 

 positor, and only the males possess the singing organ, which 

 is an extended movable membrane on the under side of 

 the abdomen, by the rapid vibration of which they produce 

 their peculiarly loud and shrill sound. The females are all 



dumb. Virgil says : 



11 raucis 

 Sole sub ardent! resonant arbusta Cicadis.&quot; 



Or, in English rhyme : 



&quot;While the scorching sun beats don r n upon the plaua, 

 The bushes eclK) with the hoarse CJfailu s strain.&quot; 



