No. 607] BHYTHM IN BETIAVIOE OF 



441 



mission could take place down the twiu'. Altlidiiuli tlie 

 swinging was not always in the same dirt'ctiim. n icinni k- 

 able degree of s>Ticlironic movement was hioii-lit aliout. 



In those instances where the rhythmic ('xi)rt'>-i()ii of 

 each individual, when set up, continues fi>i- hmii- j.^riods 

 of time, as in the case of certain crickets, wo have tlie de- 

 velopment of a more complex synchronic rhythm liaving 

 its origin in the instinctive habit of response, and prob- 

 ably also built up and maintained by the unconscious in- 

 fluences of the regular sounds of the crickets upon one 

 another. 



I do not feel the slightest hesitancy in affirming that 

 certain crickets which have the intermittent habit of 

 chirping may build up and maintain a synchronic rhythm 

 under favorable conditions. I refer to the well-known 

 snowy tree cricket (CEcanthus niveus), whose synchronous 

 music has been noted and described by many well-known 

 observers and naturalists in this country. 1 lia\c many 

 times heard the remarkable synchroiion- ciilrp ii- tlicNC 

 crickets in New En,i>-land. and under .■x.-rpiionallx lavor- 

 a'ble conditions the synchronism lias been >o marked that 

 waves of solemn, i-li\ t limical mu-ic liaxc Iteeti produced 

 for long periods of time. Tlii- i-ii\tliinic nui-ic was 

 spoken of as a " slmiil)i'en> lireal liiim"" !»>■ Tlioreau. 

 Hawthorne called it an "audible >tilliu'-^"" wiiicli. "if 

 moonlight could ]k) heard, it would -ouiid like tiiai."" lUir- 

 roughs called it a ''rhythmic Ik-I." McXeill lia^ ^nid of 

 the music of this cricket: 



