TLANTS SELKOTEI) VOK ()\ I I'osi TloN. l()o 
witliin a wools aflcM- tho oiiior^cMico of th(> firsi iii(li\i(lu;ils. W'illiiii 
two weeks [iw ogi^ piinct ur(\s Ix^^in lo apponi- 1um-o and llici-o !i) lli(> 
tAsigs. From this tiino on oviposit ion j)rocoo(ls \(m\ lapidK. and 
thousands of individuals may ofton he noted working at the sunie> 
tmic oil the same tree. 
PLANTS SKLKCTKI). 
Tlio fact tliat the Cicada is not esj)eeially clioice in its selection n\' 
trees in wliicli to ])lac(» its oi^^^s is patent to any careful ohsci-xci', 
ahliouirh a prefereuee is *^enorally shown for oaks and liickories, and 
the aj)])le among tho fruit trees. Any phmt which j)resonts itself is, 
however, accepted, often herbaceous ones and occasionally evergreen>, 
although the sticky resinous sap of the latter seems to he distasteful 
to these insects. No careful, com})loto list of j)lants in which they o\ i- 
posit has been made, although several observers have made rather 
extensive lists, notably Mr. Butler and Mr. Davis, the latter having 
observed the cicadas laying their eggs in between seventy and eighty 
trees, bushes, and herbaceous plants on Staten Island in ISDl, and 
states also that he had evidenth^ not nearly reached the liniits of 
plants. In some cases even the large petioles of plants, like the horse- 
chestnuts, had been oviposited in. A list of plants could be given 
which have been put on record, but it would have but little value, as 
in every district in wliich they appear they will oviposit in practi- 
cally all plants which come their way, with the exception of pines, as 
already stated, which are ordinarily exempt. 
That they are not very choice in this matter is shown by a case of 
faulty instinct reported by Mr. Hunter Nichols, who observed a female 
to alight on the iron rod of a bridge and attempt to insert her eggs, 
even extruding them to the number of seven, some of which remained 
attached to the rod and the others falling to the ground. Other 
similar cases of eiTor on the part of the insect are noted by ^Lr. Davis. 
In one instance a female had attempted to insert her eggs in the 
very hard stem of catbriar (Smilax i-otund [folia) and in another ]^lace 
had thrust her ovipositor entirely tlirough the stem of a plant only to 
find that it was liollow. 
The part of the plant selected for a recoptack* for tho eggs is almost 
invariably the twigs of tho previous year's growth. When larger liml)s 
are chosen, as occasionally happens, the female evinces her dislike for 
them by constructing only a nest or two instead of tho long series of 
slits which aie usually characteristic of her work on limbs of newer 
grow til. 
