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CICADA. 
The cuckoo spit is by some called the frog hopper, 
from the nimbleness with which it springs to a con- 
siderable distance when disturbed. 
The most celebrated of all this genus of insects 
is the Cicada pleheja of Linnaeus. This is a com- 
mon species in the warmer parts of Europe, and 
was once the favourite of the poets. It appears in 
the middle of summer, and makes the air resound 
with its shrill chirping noise while it conceals itself 
among the branches of trees. Many romantic 
stories have been told of the musical powers of this 
little creature, and much has been said in favour 
of its voice : but in reality the sound which it emits 
is harsh and disagreeable ; far from being varied, 
the same note is incessantly repeated, and that in 
such a loud tone, that one of them confined in a 
cage will almost drown the voice of a whole com- 
pany. This astonishing faculty in so small an ob- 
ject has engaged the attention of some of the most 
celebrated entomologists, who have found that the 
sound proceeds from a pair of concave membranes 
placed on each side the first joint of the abdomen, 
assisted by a strong muscular apparatus, which are 
together exerted for the purpose of producing the 
note. 
That the cicada gained great credit for its har- 
monious voice, may be collected from what antient 
authors have related respecting two rival musi- 
cians, who were playing for a prize, when one of 
them unfortunately broke the string of his lyre, 
and would certainly have lost the day, if a com- 
