268 



ClCADID^E.- 



-INSECTS.- 



-FUT.GORID.E. 



Walker's list, two hundred and fifty-eight species are 



recorded. 

 Family 3. — Alei/rodidm. Aleyrodes 2 — Walker gives 6. 

 Skct. 3. — MoNOMERA. One-jointed tarsi. 

 Family Coccidm. Dorthesia 6 ; Aspidiatus 3 ; Cocc!is— Walker 



gives 22 species. 



Family— CICADID^. 



A very extensive family of insects, generally 

 with Iiroad head and clear wings, the males of 

 which have a drum with which the remarkable 

 noise is produced. A species of Cicada found 

 in the United States, has acquired celebrity, and 

 its name, Cicada sqjtemdecim, from each brood 

 requiring the interval of seventeen years for com- 

 ing into its winged state. Dr. Fitch remarks, "The 

 unusual length of time which it requires for completing 

 its growth, and the perfect regularity with which every 

 generation, numbering many millions of individuals, 

 attains maturity so as to come forth at the end of 

 seventeen years — the entire brood hatching within a 

 few days' time — has caused this more than any other 

 American insect to be noted throughout the world. 

 The insect dwells entirely in timber land. They were 

 noticed as long ago as 1715. The perfect insect 

 deposits its -eggs in many different kinds of trees, 

 yet appearing to prefer those which have the twigs 

 thick and robust. The eggs are white ; the young 

 when hatched have six legs, of which the front pair is 

 by far the largest, and armed on the under side with 

 strong spines. It drops from the tree and buries itself 

 in the ground by means of its fore legs, which are well 

 adapted for digging. The pupa comes out of the 

 ground in the night; "the warmth and dryness of the 

 air by day would doubtless cause its outer shell-like 

 case to become stiff and crack open prematurely." It 

 fixes itself securely by its feet, its thin covering cracks 

 open in front on the back, and out crawls the large 

 black, four-winged fly, with orange-coloured nerves 

 and red eyes. 



Cystisoma Saundersii, witli its puffed-up body like 

 •1 Pmumora among the Orthoptera, is a strange Aiis- 

 tralian form. 



Tcttir/aretd tomentosa, described by the writer, has 

 a small head and a strange rounded thorax ; it is 

 Australian. 



The CicadK and their noise, or " music," are often 

 referred to by Virgil and Anacreon, and other Greek 

 and Latin poets. 



FAnriLY— FULGORID^ (Lantern-flies). 



Madame Jlerian was the first who stated that the 

 great South American Lantern-fly {Fidgora hiternaria) 

 was luminous. Modern travellers have not been able 

 to detect this luminosity ; but it may nevertheless exist 

 at times and in certain states of the atmosphere. I 

 have asked Mr. Bowring of Hong Kong about the 

 Chinese species, and he told me he had never seen any 

 luminosity in the Hotiniis candelariits (Plate 8, fig. 14, 

 Fidfjora ca7ulelaria). Fig. 1C8 is that of Fidgora 

 latcrnaria. 



The Fulgoras are a curious group. Some aie really 



most lovely, such as the Ce3'loneBe Hotinus maculattis, 

 dark, grizzled with flowery spots, dusted on its prettily 



Fig. 1C8 



Fulgora lateniaria. 



veined upper wings; the lower wings are black, the base 

 of a beautiful bluish-green. 



Of the African species there is Pyrops nobilis, grey 

 and ochraceous, with white wings ; upper wings and 

 head thicldy dotted with black. 



Phrictiis serratus from South America, with his saw- 

 like beak, is a strangely-coloured Lantern-fly. 



Among the FulgoridiE, but without the projecting 

 forehead, may be mentioned the very beautiful genus 

 Aphama. They are chiefly from the East. 



The LystrcE have broader beads (Plate 8, fig 12, 

 Lystra pidvcrulentu). They are chiefly from South 

 America. 



The Plienax auricoma has the head and end of the 

 abdomen covered with great patches of a yellowish- 

 coloured waxy matter. 



The species of Pseciloptera {Flaia and Pochazid) are 

 most curious. The wax of some of the Flatse is col- 

 lected, particularly in China and the East Indies, 

 where it is manufactured into candles. 



The Delpliax saccharioora of Westwood is most 

 destructive to the sugar cane in the West Indies. 



Eurymela is a pretty, broad-headed, Australian 

 genus ; some of the species are deep brown, with white 

 spots. 



Ancyra is a curious genus described by the writer; 

 the species Ancyra appendicnlata (Plate 8, fig. 10), 

 is so named from the curious little appendages to the 

 wings. It is a native of the coast of the Gulf of Martaban. 



Achilns is a genus of Australian Homoptera described 

 by Kirby. The species (figTired Plate 8, fig. 11) is of a 

 reddish Vermillion hue. 



There are about thirty species of the great group in 

 the British islands ; they are included in the families 

 Pscudophanida: and DelphacidcB. 



