250 
RURAL HOURS. 
the trees it is close and sultry. Many of the forest trees are 
getting a parched look, and even the little wood-plants, screened 
from the direct influence of the sun, looked thirsty and feeble this 
afternoon. 
But if vegetation suffer, the insect world rejoices in this dry, 
warm weather. Day and night, in the hot noontide sun, and 
in the brilliant moonlight, there is an unceasing hum about the 
fields and woods, much fuller in tone than usual. This is very 
pleasant in its way ; — all the more so from being, like the songs 
of birds, a proof that the little creatures are happy in the pass- 
ing hours. We are told that insects have, in truth, no voices, 
and that the sounds we hear from them are produced generally 
by friction, or by striking together hard substances of different 
parts of their bodies. But the character of the sound remains 
the same, however it be produced. No doubt the fly enjoys the 
idle buzzing of its own wings, the bee the hum which accompa- 
nies its thrifty flight, and the loud chirmp of the locust is prob- 
ably as much an expression of ease and pleasure, as the full gush 
of song from the breast of his neighbor, the merry wren. 
There are said to be very many varieties of locusts in this coun- 
try. We have but few in our own neighborhood compared with the 
great numbers found in other counties of this State. The large 
tree-locusts are only heard with us in the warmest weather. 
The Katy-did also, a very common insect elsewhere, is rare 
here. We have only a few, and their pleasant cry is seldom 
heard excepting in very warm evenings. During this last week, 
however, we have been greeted by the locust* and the Katy-did 
also. 
* The Cicada, or great harvest-fly. 
