THE SEVENTEEN-YEAR CICADA. 211 



The seventeen-year Cicada (Cicada septendecim of Lin- 

 naeus), (Plate III. Fig. 7,) in the winged state, is of a 

 black color, with transparent wings and wing-covers, the 

 thick anterior edge and larger veins of which are orange-red, 

 and near the tips of the latter there is a dusky zigzag line 

 in the form of the letter W ; the eyes when living are also 

 red ; the rings of the body are edged with dull orange ; 

 and the legs are of the same color. The wings expand 

 from 2 to 3 inches. 



In those parts of Massachusetts which are subject to the 

 visitation of this Cicada, it may be seen in forests of oak 

 about the middle of June. Here such immense numbers 

 are sometimes congregated, as to bend and even break down 

 the limbs of the trees by their weight, and the woods re- 

 sound with the din of their discordant drums from morning 

 to evening. After pairing, the females proceed to prepare 

 a nest for the reception of their eggs. They select, for this 

 purpose, branches of a moderate size, which they clasp on 

 both sides with their legs, and then, bending down the piercer 

 at an angle of about forty-five degrees, they repeatedly thrust 

 it obliquely into the bark and wood in the direction of the 

 fibres, at the same time putting in motion the lateral saws, 

 and in this way detach little splinters of the wood at one 

 end, so as to form a kind of fibrous lid or cover to the 

 perforation. The hole is bored obliquely to the pith, and 

 is gradually enlarged by a repetition of the same operation, 

 till a longitudinal fissure is formed of sufficient extent to 

 receive from ten to twenty eggs. The side-pieces of the 

 piercer serve as a groove to convey the eggs into the nest, 

 where they are deposited in pairs, side by side, but separated 

 from each other by a portion of woody fibre, and they are 

 implanted into the limb somewhat obliquely, so that one end 

 points upwards. When two eggs have been thus placed, 

 the insect withdraws the piercer for a moment, and then 

 inserts it again and drops two more eggs in a line with the 

 first, and repeats the operation till she has filled the fissure 



