NOISES OF INSECTS. 



325 



creon and Theocritus. Supposed to be perfectly harmless, 

 and to live only upon the dew, they were addressed by the 

 most endearing epithets, and were regarded as all but divine. 

 One bard entreats the shepherds to spare the innoxious Tettix, 

 that nightingale of the Nymphs, and to make those mis- 

 chievous birds the thrush and blackbird their prey. Sweet 

 prophet of the summer, says Anacreon, addressing this insect, 

 the Muses love thee, Phoebus himself loves thee, and has 

 given thee a shrill song ; old age does not wear thee out ; 

 thou art wise, earth-born, musical, impassive, without blood ; 

 thou art almost like a god. 1 So attached were the Athenians 

 to these insects, that they were accustomed to fasten golden 

 images of them in their hair, implying at the same time a 

 boast that they themselves, as well as the Cicada?, were 

 Terrce filiL They were regarded indeed by all as the hap- 

 piest as well as the most innocent of animals — not, we will 

 suppose, for the reason given by the saucy Rhodian Xenar- 

 chus, when he says, 



" Happy the Cicadas' lives, 

 Since they all have voiceless wives." 



If the Grecian Tettix or Cicada had been distinguished by 

 a harsh and deafening note, like those of some other countries, 

 it would hardly have been an object of such affection. That 

 it was not, is clearly proved by the connection which was sup- 

 posed to exist between it and music. Thus the sound of this 

 insect and of the harp were called by one and the same name. 2 

 A Cicada sitting upon a harp was a usual emblem of the 

 science of music, which was thus accounted for : — When 

 two rival musicians, Eunomus and Ariston, were contending 

 upon that instrument, a Cicada flying to the former and 

 sitting upon his harp supplied the place of a broken string, 

 and so secured to him the victory. 3 To excel this animal in 

 singing seems to have been the highest commendation of a 

 singer ; and even the eloquence of Plato was not thought to 

 suffer by a comparison with it. 4 At Surinam the noise of 

 the Cicada Tibicen is still supposed so much to resemble the 



1 Epigramm. Delect. 45. 234. 

 3 Mouffet, Theatr. 130. 



2 Gr.TepeTio'jua. 



4 'H5ue7TTos riAa7W, ncu t^tti^iv icroKaKos. 

 Y 3 



