THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



205 



over two hundred species have been 

 recorded from Australia. 



When we come to examine a Yellow 

 Monday Cicada, we find that it measures 

 nearly two inches in length and has a 

 wing spread of five inches. It is usually 

 yellow in colour, as its vernacular name 

 would suggest, though green varieties 

 are common, but after death their 

 colour frequently changes to a yellow 

 brown. The most noticeable thing 

 about the broad head is the triangle of 

 ruby-like ocelli situated between the 

 pair of large eyes. Projecting before 

 the eyes may be seen the small an- 

 tennae, consisting of a stout basal 

 segment and terminating in a bristle. 

 Springing from the sides of the thorax 

 are the strong, transparent, shining 

 wings (tegmina), with a network of 

 stout green-coloured nervures or veins. 

 The hind wings which follow are 

 smaller and not so heavily veined. 

 These glistening wings were, at one 

 time, much sought after by the urchins 

 of Sydney, under the extremely erro- 

 neous impression that they were of 

 commercial value. How this fallacy 

 arose is not clear, but it was every 

 year responsible for the mutilation of 

 'many of these unfortunate insects, 

 which were forcibly stripped of their 

 wings and left to crawl about the foot- 

 paths until they eventually succumbed 

 to the attacks of ants or the footfall of 

 some passer-by. On the under-surface 

 of the body are the legs, which are well 

 developed and enable the insect to 

 cling to a swaying tree-top without 

 fear of being dislodged by the wind. 

 At the base of the abdomen there occur 

 in the male the sound producing organs, 

 which are recognised by the tympanal 

 coverings on the upper part of the 

 abdomen, and the broad plates or 

 opercula on the lower surface of the 

 abdomen. These are absent in the 

 female, which is somewhat larger than 

 the male. 



THE SONG or THE CICADA. 



It is interesting to learn that the 

 ancient Greeks knew and venerated the 

 cicada, and one of these insects sitting 

 on a harp or lyre was regarded by them 

 as symbolical of music. The Latins, it 



The Yellow Monday Cicada, showing the 

 normal position assumed by the wings while 

 the insect is clinging to a tree trunk ; when 

 singing they are lowered at the sides of the 

 body. 



[Photo.— ^. Miiitgrave. 



is said, were not impressed by the 

 charm of the cicada's song, an impres- 

 sion which is shared by all Australians 

 who have listened to their noisy screech. 

 Virgil describes them as " bursting the 

 very shrubs with their noise," a saying 

 which could be felicitously applied to 

 the arboreal orchestras of our suburbs. 

 The song of our Yellow Monday 

 usually commences with a few opening 

 notes given with staccato-like effect, 

 followed by a continuous whirring 

 screech, w^hich is taken up by all the 

 cicadas in the neighbourhood, until the 

 noise seems to burst the very drums of 

 one's ears. The refrain is kept up well 

 into the night, with intervals of rest, 

 unless an atmospheric change, such as 

 a thunderstorm or cool southerly, 

 springs up, when their voices are 

 hushed and comparative silence reigns 

 where was pandemonium. No article 

 on cicadas would be complete without 

 the famous lines of Xenarchus, a Greek 

 poet, who sang : 



" Happy the Cicadas" lives 

 For they all have voiceless wives." 



