390 NOISES OF INSECTS. 



which announced their joy at the event 1 . Huber relates, 

 that once when all the worker-brood was removed from 

 a hive, and only male brood left, the bees appeared in a 

 state of extreme despondency. Assembled in clusters 

 upon the combs, they lost all their activity. The queen 

 dropped her eggs at random ; and instead of the usual 

 active hum, a dead silence reigned in the hive b . 



But love is the soul of song with those that may be es- 

 teemed the most musical insects, the grasshopper tribes 

 (Gryllina and Loctistina), and the long celebrated Ci- 

 cada. You would suppose, perhaps, that the ladies 

 would bear their share in these amatory strains. But 

 here you would be mistaken female insects are too 

 intent upon their business, too coy and reserved to tell 

 their love even to the winds. The males alone 

 " Formosam resonare decent Amaryllida sylvas." 



With respect to the Cicada, this was observed by Aris- 

 totle ; and Pliny, as usual, has retailed it after him c . 

 The observation also holds good with respect to the 

 Gryttina, &c., and other insects, probably, whose love 

 is musical. Olivier however has noticed an exception to 

 this doctrine ; for he relates, that in a species of beetle 

 (Moluris striata\ the female has a round granulated spot 

 in the middle of the second segment of the abdomen, by 

 striking which against any hard substance, she produces 

 a rather loud sound, and that the male, obedient to this 

 call, soon attends her, and they pair d . 



As I have nothing to communicate to you with re- 

 spect to the love-songs of other insects, my further ob- 



a Schirach, 73 . > i. 226. 



c Aristot. Hist. Anim. 1. v. c. 30. Plin. Hist. Nat. 1. xi. c. 26. 



d Oliv. Entomol i. Pref.ix. 



