104 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE 



cause of this noise in the insects that have winglets. Num- 

 bers have them not. He next, therefore, cut oft' the pois- 

 ers of a crane-fly (Tipula crocata), and found that it buzzed 

 when it moved the wing. He cut off half the latter, yet 

 still the sound continued; but when he had cut off the 

 whole of these organs the sound entirely ceased." ' 



There is a pretty little beetle (Clytus), not uncommon 

 in summer in gardens, remarkable for the brilliant gam- 

 boge-yellow lines across its dark wing-cases, which makes 

 a curious squeaking sound when you take it in your hand. 

 You think it is crying; but if you carefully examine it 

 with a lens while the noise is uttered, you will perceive 

 that the cause is the grating of the thorax against the front 

 part of the two wing-cases. Several other beetles produce 

 similar sounds when alarmed, by rubbing the other end of 

 the wing-sheaths with the tip of the abdomen. Many of 

 those genera which feed on ordure and carrion do this. 



But the noisiest of all insects are those of the classes 

 Orthopiera and Homoptera, the Crickets and Grasshoppers, 

 and the Treehoppers. And these shall bring us back to 

 our microscope, to which we shall return with the more 

 zest, after this little interval of repose for our strained 



eyes. 



Listen! we hear coming up the kitchen- stairs the strid- 

 ulous chirping of the House- cricket (Acheta domesticd). 



"The cricket chirrups on the hearth." 



The cook shall catch us one for investigation. "Please, 

 sir, here's the crickets: here's half a dozen on 'em. I 

 don't like 'em, I don't; nasty noisy varmint!" Thank 



1 "Introd. to Entom.," Lett. xxiv. 



