A New Species of Cicada, from the Cascade Mountains. 429 



of the Cascade Mountains. Having fully indulged myself 

 with a look at the scenery and a rest, after an early morning 

 ride, I wandered off in pursuit of anything new and curious 

 that might chance to fall in my way. Striking in among the 

 trees, and following a deer trail for a short distance, I 

 emerged suddenly on an open glade, or, more aptly, it may be 

 said to have resembled an English meadow. The waving 

 grass looked temptingly green, and peeping from amidst it 

 were wild flowers of various species ; a tiny stream, too, clear 

 as crystal, twisted its way in many a bend and turn through 

 this fairy spot. No human voice, perhaps, had ever disturbed 

 its silence, but the song and twitter of birds, and the incessant 

 hum of insect life, proclaimed at once that bush, flower, tree, 

 rock, and lichen-clad boulder, each blade of grass, even the 

 rippling stream, was the haunt, home, and lurking place of 

 some living wonder. 



But there was one sound — song, perhaps, I had better call it 

 — clearer, shriller, and more singularly tuneful than any other, 

 which never appeared to cease, and came from everywhere — 

 from the tops of the giant pine and cedar trees, from the 

 trembling leaves of the cotton wood, from the stunted under- 

 brush, from the flowers, the grass, the rocks and boulders, 

 yea, the very rivulet was vocal with these hidden minstrels, all 

 chaunting the same refrain. It was the first time I had heard 

 this song in north-western wilds, and although the singer 

 was invisible, I knew it must be a cicada. A little vocalist 

 was soon pounced upon and captured in his leafy orchestra. 



Cicada Occidentalis, New Species. 



He was a handsome fellow, with large bright shining eyes, and 

 wings resembling the most delicate gauze, coloured green, and 

 veined, like the leaves he loved to sit on. Having captured the 

 minstrel, which is always the male — the female being destitute 

 of sound-producing organs — the next thing was to commence 

 a rigid search for female, pupa, larvae, and eggs. The females 

 were soon discovered clinging to the branches of the trees, 

 some depositing their eggs, others idling amongst the foliage. 

 They differ slightly from the males, in being less brilliantly 



