THE FLEA LOCUST. 4I5 



tliefe burft, from a reptile It becomes a winged infect ; 

 thus rendered complete in all its parts, it flies to meet its 

 mate, and propagate its kind *. 



Other larvae are unprovided by nature with a frothy- 

 covering ; their bodies are not fo ealily injured ; and they 

 are enabled to efcape from their purfuers by the nimble- 

 nefs of their running and leaping. The chryfalids and 

 larvae that produce them differ but little from each other, 

 either in their form or habits : Both run, leap, and climb 

 upon plants ; the former diftinguiihed by fmali knobs 

 upon the back, the rudiments of future wings. 



When arrived at their moft perfect form, the males of 

 many kinds poflefs the faculty of finging, by mean^ of 

 an organ fituated under the abdomen, furnilhed with 

 valves and mufcles. It is by the help of this fonorous 

 inftrument that the male amoroufly lolicits his mate ; and 

 from this lively and animated fong, the country people 

 prefage a fine fummer and plentiful harveft f . 



The cicadae have for their generic marks, the rcflrum 

 inflected ; the antennas fetaceous ; the four wings mem- 

 branous, and the feet formed, for the moll part, for leap- 

 ing J. Their heads are generally of a triangular Hiape ; 

 their bodies are oblong ; and tlie wings faftigiated, like a 

 roof. The females poflefs, at the extremity of the abdo- 

 men, two large laminae, between which is inclofed a kind 

 of blade, fcrrated on the edges. This apparatus appears 

 plainly intended for digging holes for the reception of 

 the young, and for finking them in thcfe plants upon 

 which the larvae are to feed, after their exclufion from 

 the eggs. 



Vol. in. 3 H The 



* Goldfmith's Nat. Hift. Vol. VII. p. 358. 



t Barbut ubi fupra, J Syft. J<at. Ord. 11. Gen. 5, 



