The Foamy Cicadella 



tools are made. Well, in this art of expelling 

 air, an enormous source of progress, the Ci- 

 cadella was the pioneer. She was blowing 

 her froth before Tubalcain thought of 

 urging the fire of his forge with a leather 

 pouch. She was the first to invent bellows. 

 When, bubble by bubble, the foamy wrap- 

 per covers the insect to a height which the 

 uplifted tip of her belly is unable to reach, 

 it is no longer possible to take in air and 

 the effervescence stops. Nevertheless, the 

 gimlet that extracts the sap goes on working, 

 for nourishment must be obtained. As a 

 rule then, in the sloping part, the superfluous 

 liquid, that which is not converted into foam, 

 collects and forms a drop of perfectly clear 

 liquid. 



What does this limpid fluid lack in order 

 to turn white and effervesce? Nothing but 

 air blown into it, one would think. I am 

 able to substitute my own devices for the 

 Cicadella's syringe. I place between my lips 

 a very slender glass tube and with delicate 

 puffs send my breath into the drop of 

 moisture. To my great surprise, it does not 

 froth up. The result is just the same as that 

 which I should have with plain water from 

 the tap. 



435 



