ORDER II. BUGS. 65 



Figure 17. 



Red-eyed Cicada. 



ed States, is called the " Seventeen-years' Locust," makes 

 its appearance every year, according to my observations 

 when abroad ; and during my twenty-seven years' residence 

 in this country I have seen some of them every year, but 

 myriads in 1829, 1834, 1843, and afterward. 



Linnceus gave the specific name " Septemdecini" to the 

 Red-eyed American Cicada, because with the specimens of 

 this insect sent him from America he was told that it ap- 

 peared only every seventeen years an opinion that still 

 now extensively prevails throughout our country. But rea- 

 soning from analogy alone controverts this opinion ; for if 

 we consider that all other species of Cicadas, either of the 

 same size, or larger, or smaller, subject to the same meta- 

 morphosis and manner of living, spend only two years in 

 attaining their perfect condition, why should the Red-eyed 

 Cicada alone form an exception to this natural law of their 

 species ? 



But facts speak in an unanswerable tone in this matter. 

 According to Dr. Hildreth's account of the Cicada septem- 

 decim, or Seventeen-years' Locust, in Professor Silliman's 

 Journal, No. xviii., July, 1830, this insect appeared in 1829 

 in immense numbers in the States of Mississippi, Missouri, 

 Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. But 

 the same quantity were observed five years after, in 1834, 

 in the States of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Mary- 



