96 MY STUDIO NEIGHBORS 



I was soon enabled to witness a solution of at 

 least a part of its mystery. 



This little thorn-like tree-hopper and all of its 

 queer harlequin tribe are near relatives to the 

 buzzing cicada, or harvest-fly, whose whizzing din 

 in the dog-days has won it the popular misnomer 

 of " locust." 



To the average listener this insect is a mere 

 " wandering voice and a mystery," and its singu- 

 lar form, wide prominent eyes, glassy wings, and 

 double drums are always a surprise to the tyro 

 who first identifies the grotesque as his well- 

 known " locust." Its musical accomplishments 

 during this brief period of its life are known to 

 all, but few have cared to interest themselves in 

 the early history of the singer, ere it perfected its 

 musical resources " for the delight of man." But 

 the naturalist, and especially the arboriculturist 

 and fruit-grower, know to their cost of other 

 tricks of the cicada, or rather of Mrs. Cicada, 

 immortalized by Zenarchus the Rhodian as his 

 " noiseless wife " — 



" Happy the cicadas' lives. 

 Since they all have noiseless wives." 



I have alluded to the egg of the cicada " in- 

 serted in the bark of a twig." This act is accom- 



