"COW-SPIT, SNAKE-SPIT, AND FROG-SPIT " 89 



eludes to trust the spring. Here, then, is one of 

 the host of midgets who are responsible for our 

 soiled garments in our summer walks — the "frog- 

 hopper," or "spume-bearer," in his perfection. The 

 round of his life is thus given in Harris's beautiful 

 volume," Insects Injurious to Vegetation": 



" The ' frog-hoppers ' pass their whole lives on 

 plants, on the stems of which their eggs are laid 

 in the autumn. The following summer they are 

 hatched, and the young immediately perforate the 

 bark with their beaks, and begin to imbibe the 

 sap. They take in such quantities of this that it 

 oozes out of their bodies continually in the form 

 of litde bubbles, which soon completely cover up 

 the insects. They thus remain entirely buried 

 and concealed in large masses of foam until they 

 have completed the final transformation, on which 

 account the names of cuckoo-spittle, frog-spittle, 

 and frog-hopper have been applied to them. The 

 spittle in which they are sheltered may be seen in 

 great abundance during the summer on the stems 

 of our alders and willows. In the perfect state 

 they are not thus protected, but are found on the 

 plants in the latter part of summer fully grown, 

 and preparing to lay their eggs. In this state 

 they possess the power of leaping in a remarkable 

 degree, and for this purpose the tips of their hind 

 shanks are surrounded with little spines." 



The "spume-bearer" {AphropJiora) this insect 



