SOUNDS MADE BY INSECTS 295 



tells us that the wing-tone of the honey-bee is A' ; its voice, how- 

 ever, is an octave higher, and often goes to B" and C". 



The sounds produced by the wings are constant in each species, 

 except where, as in Bombus, there are individuals of different sizes ; 

 in these the larger ones generally give a higher note. Thus the 

 comparatively small male of Bombus terrestris hums on A', while the 

 large female hums an entire octave higher. 



From the note produced the rapidity of the vibrations can be cal- 

 culated. For example, the house-fly, which produces the sound of F, 

 vibrates its wings 21,120 times in a minute, or 335 times in a second; 

 and the bee, which makes a sound of A', as many as 26,400 times, or 

 440 times in a second. On the contrary, a tired bee hums on E', and 

 therefore, according to theory, vibrates its wings only 330 times in a 

 second. Marey has confirmed these numbers graphically, and found 

 by experiment that the fly actually makes 330 strokes in a second. 

 (Lubbock.) 



A different kind of musical apparatus is that of the cicada, which 

 has been elaborately described by Graber. The shrill, piercing notes 

 issue from a pair of organs on the iinder side of the base of the abdo- 

 men of the male, these acting somewhat as two kettle-drums, the 

 membrane covering the depressions being rapidly vibrated. 



LITERATURE ON THE ORGANS OF HEARING 

 a. The auditory organs 



Siebold, C. Th. E. von. Ueber das Stimm- und Gehor-organ der Orthopteren. 



(Archiv f. Naturgesch., 1844, x, pp. 52-81.) 

 Johnston, Christopher. Auditory apparatus of the culex mosquito. (Quart. 



Journ. Micr. Soc., 1855, Hi, pp. 97-102, 1 Fig.) 

 Hicks, Braxton. On a new organ in insects. (Journ. Linn. Soc. Zool., London, 



1857, pp. 136-140, 1 PI.) 



Further remarks on the organ found on the bases of the halteres and 



wings of insects. (Trans. Linn. Soc., London, 1857, xxii, pp. 141-145, 

 2 Pis.) 



Hensen, V. Ueber das Gehororgan von Locusta. (Zeitschr. f. wissens. Zool., 



xvi, 1866, pp. 190-207.) 

 Graber, V. Bemerkungen iiber die Gehor- und Stimmorgane der Heuschrecken 



und Cicaden (Wiener Sitzungsber. Math.-natur-wiss. Cl., Ixvi, 1 Abt. , 1872, 



pp. 205-213, 2 Figs.) 



Die tympanalen Sinnesapparate der Orthopteren. (Denkschr. d. k. Akad. 



d. wissens. Wien, xxxvi, 1876, 2 Abt., pp. 1-140, 10 Taf.) 



Die abdominalen Tympanalorgane der Cicaden und Gryllodeen. (Ibid., 



1876, xxxvi, pp. 273-296, 2 Taf.) 



Ueber neue, otocystenartige Sinnesorgane der Insekten. (Archiv f. 



mikroskop. Anat., 1878, pp. 35-57, 2 Taf.) 



Die chordotonalen Sinnesorgane und das Gehor der Insekten. (Archiv 



f. mikroskop. Anat., 1882, xx, pp. 506-640 ; 1883, xxi, pp. 65-145, Taf.) 



