A QUEER LITTLE FAMILY ON THE BITTERSWEET 97 



plished by a knife-like ovipositor, which Hterally 

 gouges a deep gash into the tender wood of vari- 

 ous twigs, a number of the eggs being implanted 

 in its depths, often causing the death of the 

 branch. Shortly after hatching, the young cica- 

 das leap for the ground, and burrowing beneath 

 the surface, remain for a period varying from 

 three to seventeen years, according to the spe- 

 cies, to complete their transformations. Now the 

 habits of my little tree-hopper are somewhat mod- 

 elled after its big cousin. Knowing that the lit- 

 tle insect was provided with a keen-edged oviposi- 

 tor, and was in the habit of thrusting its tiny 

 eggs beneath the bark, and realizing, too, that 

 these strange tufts were of course in some way 

 connected with the maternal instinct, I was led to 

 investigate. Selecting a branch where the tufts 

 and hoppers seemed most prolific, I brought my 

 magnifying-glass to bear upon them at a respect- 

 ful distance. Was ever actual thorn more mo- 

 tionless or non-committal than most of these? — 

 their under surfaces hugging close against the 

 bark, their telltale feet closely withdrawn, and all 

 their pointed helmets inclined in the same paral- 

 lel direction. One after another of the sly little 

 family was examined without a revelation. Not 

 until I had reached the upper limit of the group 



