THE ZOOLOGIST 



No. 710.— August, 1900. 



ZOOLOGICAL NOTES FROM SYDNEY. 



By David G. Stead. 



(Plate IV.) 



Last year (Zool. 1899, p. 407) I had the pleasure of narrating 

 one of my zoological wanderings near Sydney. On the present 

 occasion I propose to describe some of the objects of interest 

 which it has been my good fortune to encounter on various 

 rambles during the past few months. 



At the time of writing the " bush " is teeming with animal 

 life, chiefly insects, though the Reptilia play no small a part. Of 

 the former, perhaps the Cicadas attract most attention, both by 

 numbers and noise. It is only a few weeks since they made their 

 appearance above ground (that is, in the city and environs), but 

 they have been making the most of their time ; and now the first 

 thing to greet one's ears on awaking in the morning is the sound 

 of their stridulation. Hot, still, sultry weather always suits 

 them best, and under such atmospheric conditions, and as the 

 season advances, they may be often heard long before daybreak, 

 keeping up their " churr-urr-urr-urr " until about 7 or 8 o'clock, 

 when there will be a general quietude until about 11 o'clock, 

 when once more the concert is resumed with renewed vigour. 

 This goes on with a few intermissions until about 4 or 5 p.m., 

 when once more it ceases as suddenly as it began ; only to start 

 again about 7 p.m., and continuing until long after darkness has 

 set in. I have even heard them as late as 11 p.m. I have 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. IV., August, 1000. 2 b 



