Oh. XI.] CICADAS. i75 



— a single puncture betraying the point of a scorpion's sting, 

 and a double one the formidable pair of nippers on the head 

 of the centipede. The puncture is described by its victims 

 as similar to what might be produced by contact with a red- 

 hot iron, and the constitutional effects are often very severe 

 for some hours, consisting of considerable swelling, tender- 

 ness, throbbing pain, anxiety, and febrile symptoms. I 

 have known the symptoms, after having lasted 36 hours, 

 recur after three or four days' intermission. Ammonia is the 

 best application. 



Another species of centipede, of a large size, grey colour, 

 with numerous legs arranged in twos on each side, I met 

 with in the jungle on the east coast of Formosa, and also 

 on the banks of the Sarawak river, associated with large 

 Millepedes (Julus). It had, however, no venomous fangs. 



Certainly the most remarkable insects for noise are the 

 Cicadas. There are several species in Labuan and Pulo 

 Daat, which make the woods resound. One of the most 

 extraordinary of these singing insects utters a sound by no 

 means unmusical. Just as the sun goes down, a loud, 

 ringing whistle strikes up among the fern, or in some spot 

 near the house, sometimes apparently almost in the veran- 

 dah, which I can best compare to one smartly rubbing on very 

 sounding musical glass, and keeping up for a long time ^ 

 very loud and uninterrupted musical note. You may search 

 in vain for the origin of the ringing sound, though it 

 appears to spring from the very spot on which you may 

 be standing, for a quiet approach wiU not disturb the 

 insect, which, sitting in the mouth of its hole in the 

 ground, whistles its monotonous and loud song, which 

 is probably intensified by reverberation in the cavity. 

 This insect seems to affect the neighbourhood of houses, 



