534 



NOISES OF INSECTS. 



diada, including the genera Fulgora, Cicada, Tiitix, and Tettigonia^ 

 The Fahrortc appear to be night singers, while the Cicadce sing usually in 

 the day. The great lantern-fly (^Fulgora laternaria), from its noise in 

 the evenino' — nearly resembling the sound of a cymbal, or razor-grinder 

 when at work — is called Scare-sleep by the Dutch in Guiana. It begins 

 re'nilarly at sunset.^ Perhaps an insect mentioned by Ligon as making a 

 great noise in the night, in Barbadoes, may belong to this tribe. " There 

 is a kind of animal in the woods," says he, " that I never saw, which lie 

 all day in holes and hollow trees, and as soon as the sun is down begin 

 their tunes, which are neither singing nor crying, but the shrillest voices I 

 ever heard : nothing can be so nearly resembled to it as the mouths of a 

 pack of small beagles at a distance ; and so lively and chirping the noise 

 is as nothing can be more delightful to the ears, if there were not too 

 much of it ; for the music has no intermission till morning, and then all is 

 husht."3 



The species of the other genus. Cicada, called by the ancient Greeks — 

 by whom they were often kept in cages for the sake of tbeir song — 

 Tettix, seem to have been the favorites of every Grecian bard from Homer 

 and Hesiod to Anacreon and Theocritus. Supposed to be perfectly 

 harmless, and to live only upon the dew, they were addressed by the 

 most endearing epithets, and were regarded as all but divine. One bard 

 entreats the shepherds to spare the innoxious Tettix, that nightingale of 

 the Nymphs, and to make those mischievous birds the thrush and black- 

 bird their prey. Sweet prophet of the summer, says Anacreon, addres- 

 sing this insect, the Muses love thee, Phoebus himself loves thee, and has 

 given thee a shrill song; old age does not wear thee out; thou art wise, 

 earth-born, musical, impassive, without blood ; thou art almost like a god.'' 

 So attached were the Athenians to these insects, that they were accus- 

 tomed to fasten golden images of them in their hair, implying at the same 

 time a boast that they themselves, as well as the Cicadae, were Terra 

 jilii. They were regarded indeed by all as the happiest as well as the 

 most innocent of animals — not, we will suppose, for the reason given by 

 the saucy Rhodian Xenarchus, when he says, 



"Happy the Cicadas' lives, 

 Since ihey all have voiceless wives.'' 



If the Grecian Tettix or Cicada had been distinguished by a harsh 

 and deafening note, like those of some other countries, it would hardly 

 have been an object of such affection. That it was not, is clearly proved 

 by the connection which was supposed to exist between it and music. 

 Thus the sound of this insect and of the harp were called by one and 

 the same name.^ A Cicada sitting upon a harp was a usual emblem of 

 the science of music, which was thus accounted for: — When two rival 

 musicians, Eunomus and Ariston, were contending upon that instrument, 

 a Cicada flying to the former and sitting upon his harp supplied the 

 place of a broken string, and so secured to him the victory.® To excel 



' Zwlog. Journ. No. iv. 429. 



• SieJman's Surinam, ii. 37. Dr. Hancock, however {Proceed. Zool. Soc. June 24, 1834), 

 stales that the razor-pirindcr, cr aria-aria of the natives, is a species of Cicada (C. clarisona), 

 and that the Fulnorx rarely sing. 



3 Ilist. of Earbadocs, 65. * Epigramm. Delect. 45. 234. ' Gr. rtpertaita. 



• Mouflet, Theatr. 130. 



