96 Life and Immortality. 



so long famous. In the male of the Seventeen-year Cicada 

 the musical instrument consists of two stretched membranes, 

 one on each side of the body, which are plainly to be seen 

 immediately behind the wings. These membranes are 

 gathered into numerous fine plaits, and are played upon by 

 muscles or cords fastened to their under surfaces. When 

 these muscles contract and relax, which they do with great 

 rapidity, the drum-heads, which the membranes resemble, 

 are alternately tightened and loosened, the effect of this 

 alternate tension and relaxation being the production of a 

 rattling sound very much like that caused by a succession 

 of quick pressures upon a slightly complex and elastic piece 

 of tin-plate. Certain cavities within the body of the insect, 

 which may be seen on raising two large valves beneath the 

 abdomen, and which are separated from each other by thin 

 transparent partitions of the brilliancy of mica or highly 

 polished glass, tend to increase the intensity of the sound. 



In the winged state Cicada septendecim, as the subject of 

 our sketch was named by the immortal Linnaeus, is of a black 

 color, with transparent wings and wing-covers, the thick 

 anterior edge and veins of which being orange-red. Near 

 the tips of the latter there is a dusky zig-zag line which 

 resembles in shape the letter W. The eyes, when living, are 

 also red, while the legs are a dull orange, which color is 

 conspicuous along the edges of the rings of the body. The 

 wings expand from two and a half to three and a quarter 

 inches. 



About the middle of June the perfect insects make their 

 appearance, and as they generally come in large numbers 

 they do a great deal of damage. In some localities they 

 congregate to such an extent upon the trees as to bend and 

 even to break down the limbs by their weight. The din of 

 their discordant drums resounds in the woods and orchards 

 from morning to evening. As their life is of rather short 

 duration, not lasting for a longer period than a month, they 

 soon begin to pair, and it is not long afterwards that the 



