THE SO-CALLED BTING. 59 
water, the music rapidly spread until it reached the edge of the thick woods, where 
il was taken up by thousands of singers, and the concert was in as full blasl a- it 
had been the previous day. This continued a few minutes, until all had apparently 
taken part and the song had reached its highest pitch, when it began to gradually 
subside, and in a short time silence again prevailed. 
THE SO-CALLED STING OF THE CICADA. 
With every general outbreak of this insect are associated many 
accounts in local papers of its stinging human beings, the sting often 
resulting, it is stated, more or less seriously to the person stung. .Such 
accounts were especially abundant in the great Cicada year L868, and 
in every important Cicada year before and since similar reports have 
been made. So great was the fear in 18G8, as noted by Professor liiley, 
that in some cases fruits were avoided as being stung and poisoned, 
and even drinking water was sometimes under suspicion. 
So far as investigation of the reports has been possible they have 
proved to be either utterly without foundation or much exaggerated. 
Referring again to Dr. Smith's manuscript, it is seen that he spent 
much labor in carefully investigating such accounts, and found in every 
case that he followed up, where death had been reported as caused by 
the "bite" or sting of the "locusts," the story to be entirely fabulous. 
In the cases of apparent stinging he suggests that the sufferer had 
probably been stung by a wasp, as will be later explained, and soundly 
argues on the susceptibility of some people to whom the slightest scratch 
becomes a source of danger. 
Professor Potter, referring to the Cicada, says in this connection: 
"It can not defend itself against an ant or a fly. We have handled 
them, male and female, time after time. We have mutilated them, but 
never could provoke them to resentment." 
Professor liiley says that of the thousands which he has handled, and 
the hundreds of other persons, including children, who have also 
handled these insects, not a single bona tide case of stinging has. to 
his knowledge, resulted. 
That the periodical Cicada can pierce the flesh with its sucking beak, 
or, more properly, the tine needle-like filaments contained in it, or per- 
haps extremely rarely with the ovipositor in the case of the female, is 
quite within the bounds of possibility, and some apparently well-authen- 
ticated cases or reports by reliable observers bear out this view. There 
is not a particle of evidence, however, to show that such penetrating 
is attended with the injection of any poisonous fluid, and the injurious 
consequences which follow them in rare cases are evidently due to 
unusual sensitiveness on the part of the individual, as suggested by 
Dr. Smith, or a bad condition of the blood, which would cause any 
wound to be attended with serious consequences. In this connection 
it is to be remembered that there are well authenticated instances of 
most serious, if not fatal, results following the bites of such insects as 
the mosquito, and other biting tlies. the result of the bites o\ which are 
very trivial in common experience. 
