CUCKOO-SPIT FROG-HOPPER. 11 



accuracy of their notions. Let such do so now by examination 

 'for themselves, and they will find, imbedded in the centre of 

 each frothy "flocon" a little green, black-eyed insect,* from 

 whose body the froth is none other than a secretion, intended, 

 it would seem, to cover and protect its wingless infancy. If 

 removed by violence, this frothy veil is gradually renewed ; 

 but as its little wearer approaches maturity it becomes curtailed 

 and thinner. Then is our time, if we wish to acquire from 

 this Tom Thumb of tree-hoppers some slender notion of his 

 comparatively gigantic relative, the Grecian Singer, to pluck 

 him, with leaf and branch, from his native tree, and set him 

 up under a glass for inspection or exhibition. The veil of 

 froth having shrunk to a film, we shall then discern, as each 

 part of the insect emerges from a previous skin, first, a large, 

 flat, frog-shaped head, with eyes set wide apart ; then a trian- 

 gular neck or shoulder-piece, flanked by small protuberances, 

 which might seem apologies for wings ; and, lastly, a short 

 annulated body, pointed at the extremity. Six legs, of which 

 the hinder pair, more strong and lengthy than their fellows, 

 bespeak endowments of a leaping character, will complete, to 

 all appearance, the somewhat grotesque figure of our little 

 tree-hopper, or frog-hopper, as he is more generally called. 

 But, though thus unveiled and thus uncased (his skin, perfect 

 even to the legs, left behind him in silvery emptiness, like a 

 shadow of his former self), we shall yet have to wait a little 



* Tettigonia, or Cicada spumaria, Cuckoo-spit Frog-hopper. 



