ZOOLOGICAL 
Preparing for the first flight of their 
brief life. 
land is nearby. 
The writer very thor- 
oughly investigated the 
cicada visitation at sey- 
eral points of the great 
area of occurrence 
both in Georgia and 
Long Island. In both 
areas there was little 
damage to fruit trees 
the great majority of 
the eggs being deposited 
in nearby forest growth. 
At Massapequa, Long 
Island, a_ thicket of 
young birches showed 
the stems to be absolutely riddled and a nearby 
orchard of young peach trees to be practically 
without damage. A few scars were noted in 
nearby apple trees, but the birch thicket, and 
groups of young oaks had halted the cicadas 
from the fruit trees. 
Seventeen years is a long period of time 
through which to remember a former menace, 
but fruit growers would do well to be ready for 
a coming visitation—about which they are al- 
ways warned by the government. The critical 
time to make ready is several years before the 
occurrence of the swarm and the process of prep- 
aration should be the actual cultivation of young 
and natura] tree growth where the locusts are 
expected. The more profuse the growth, the 
better, and particularly as regards the develop- 
ment of sucker branches to attract the female 
The perfect insect now ready for flight. 
SOCIETY BULLETIN 
cicadas away from neighboring fruit trees. 
Most important of all should be the provisions 
to guard against brush-fires the year before 
the cicadas are due to emerge. They appear 
late in May and the preceding fall is the time 
to be on guard. It is then that the brush and 
young growth that is to entice the cicadas is 
imbedded in dry leaves that will quickly flare 
and spread a withering fire. 
Within a month after the ground has been 
riddled by the emerging myriads, the droning 
courtship song has reverberated all day and sud- 
denly ceased each night, the eggs have been 
snugly encased and the cicadas have completed 
their task and also their lease of life. It is 
during the third or fourth week of their joyous 
flight and fast that one another becomes less 
sure in flight and footing and drops to the 
during the late afternoon journeys 
through the foliage. 
Stunned for the moment, 
these individuals crawl 
slowly over the ground, 
but are overtaken by 
the chill of dew and 
condensation. They are 
dead by morning and 
others whose impover- 
ished bodies have been 
attacked by a fast grow- 
ing fungus are rapidly 
falling to swell their 
numbers. The droning 
song quickly grows 
fainter day by day and 
ground 
The folded arms of the male Cicada 
cover the singing organs. 
