NOISES OF INSECTS. 493 



served at Southwold, where it abounds ; but how produced I cannot say. 

 The praying mantis (M. religiosa), as we learn from M. Goureau, when 

 alarmed and having put itself in an attitude of defence, rubs the sides of 

 the abdomen against the interior borders of the wings and elytra, so as to 

 produce a noise like that of parchment rubbed together. 1 The most re- 

 markable noise, however, proceeding from insects under alarm, is that 

 emitted by the death's-head hawk-moth, and for which it has long been 

 celebrated. The Lepidoptera, though some of them, as we have seen, 

 produce a sound when they fly, at other times are usually mute insects ; 

 but this alarmist for so it may be called, from the terrors which it has 

 occasioned to the superstitious when it walks and more particularly when 

 it is confined, or taken into the hand, sends forth a strong and sharp cry, re- 

 sembling, some say, that of a mouse, but more plaintive, and even lament- 

 able, which it continues as long as it is held. This cry does not appear to 

 be produced by the wings ; for when they, as well as the thorax and ab- 

 domen are held down, it becomes still louder. Schrceter says that the 

 animal, when it utters its cry, rubs its tongue against its head 2 j and 

 Rosel, that it produces it by the friction of the thorax and abdomen. 3 

 But Reaumur believed, after the most attentive examination, that the cry 

 came from the mouth, or rather from the tongue ; and he thought that it 

 was produced by the friction of the palpi against that organ. When, by 

 means of a pin, he unfolded the spiral tongue, the cry ceased ; but 

 as soon as it was rolled up again between the palpi it was renewed. 

 He next prevented the palpi from touching it, and the sound also ceased ; 

 and upon removing only one of them, though it continued, it became 

 much more feeble. 4 Huber, however, denies that it is produced by the 

 friction of the tongue and palpi 5 : as doea M. Passerini, who con- 

 ceives that it is owing to the alternate inspiration and expiration of air 

 from the central canal of the proboscis into a peculiar cavity in the head 

 destined for giving it the required resonance. But on the other hand 

 MM. Duponchel, Aube, Boisduval, Pierret, and Rambur, members of the 

 Entomological Society of France, who expressly instituted a series of 

 experiments in order to ascertain the actual cause of the noise, came to 

 the conclusion that it is not owing to any of those hitherto assigned, and 

 yet remains to be discovered, and that the noise itself has little of the 

 plaintive cry attributed to it, but has the greatest analogy with that made 

 by most of the Capricorn beetles (Prionus, Lamia, &c.), as above described. 6 

 If the observation of a friend of Mr. Raddon, that this noise is sometimes 

 made by the moth just before issuing from the pupa 7 , be correct, it would 

 go far to prove that it is simply owing, as Rosel thought, to the same cause 

 as that of the Capricorn beetles, since the confined posture of the insect in 

 the pupa case, and the very limited quantity of air there inclosed, seem to 

 forbid the supposition that this last has any share in producing it. 



I must next say a few words upon the angry chidings of our little crea- 

 tures ; for their anger sometimes vents itself in sounds. I have often been 

 amused with hearing the indignant tones of a humble-bee while lying on 

 its back. When I held my finger to it, it kicked and scolded with all its 



1 Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, x. bull, xviii. 2 Naturforscher, Stk. xxi. 77. 



5 HI. 16. 4 Reaum. ii. 290. 



5 Nouv. Obs ii. 300. note *. 



6 Ann. Soc. Ent. de France, viii. 59. and ix. 125. 



7 Ti'ans. Ent. Soc. Lond. ii. proc. Ixxvi. 



