G2 



five goodly sized branches just after they had fallen, for the purpose of illustrating 

 the burrows in my cabinet of nest architecture. The branches remained on a table in 

 a room having very nearly the conditions thermometrically of the temperature without, 

 until the early part of November, when I opened them for the purpose already stated. 

 I was astonished to find that every burrow contained the beetle. The transformation 

 therefore from the larva to the imago was completed in less thau eight weeks." Mr. 

 Clarkson repeated the experiment the following season, collecting in October seven 

 branches that had been pruned by the same insect. The imagoes appeared on the 

 following days : November 14th, 22nd, 26th, 29th, December 9th and 26th, all females. 

 "As the imagoes appeared they were examined and replaced in their tunnels, where they 

 now remain in a passive state, and are not likely to exhibit their natural activity until 

 next May or June." 



From these accounts it will be seen that the insects inhabiting the oak differ some- 

 what in habit from those found in hickory ; the former completing their transformations 

 in the fall, while the latter passed the winter either as larva or pupa. Continued 

 observations will be necessary to determine if such is always the case, and to clear up 

 other doubtful points in the history of this curious insect. Although called the oak 

 pruner, it is not confined to that tree, as it also attacks chestnut, apple, plum, etc, 



15. ^The Seventeen Year Cicada, Cicada Septemdecim, Linn. Order Hemiptera; 

 Family Cicadaria. 



This insect when mature (Fig. 44, c) " is of a black color with transparent wings- 

 and wing-covers, the thick anterior edge and larger veins of which are orange red, and 

 near the tips of the latter there is a dusky zigzag line in the form of the letter W ; the 

 eyes when living are also red ; the rings of the body are edged with dull orange, and the 



Fig. 44. 



egs are of the same colour. The wings expand 2£ to 3| inches." — (Harris.; The female- 

 is provided with an awl shaped ovipositor or piercer, consisting of " two sharp saws 

 which work alternately, and a central supporting dorsal piece which holds them in their 

 place and strengthens them." 



After pairing the females proceed to prepare a nest (Fig. 44, d) for the reception of 

 their eggs. " They select for this purpose branches of a moderate size, which they clasp 

 on both sides with their legs, and then bending down the piercer at an angle of about 

 forty-five degrees they repeatedly thrust it obliquely into the bark and wood in the 

 direction of the fibres, at the same time putting in motion the lateral saws, and in this. 



