THE SEVENTEEN-YEAR CICADA. 
211 
The seventeen-year Cicada ( Cicada septendecim of Lin- 
nmus), (Plate III. Fig. 7,) in the winged state, is of a 
black color, with transparent wings and wing-covers, the 
thick anterior edge and larger veins of which are orange-red, 
and near the tips of the latter there is a dusky zigzag line 
in the form of the letter IV ; the eyes when living are also 
red ; the rings of the body are edged with dull orange ; 
and the legs are of the same color. The wings expand 
from 21 to 3f inches. 
In those parts of Massachusetts which are subject to the 
visitation of this Cicada, it may be seen in forests of oak 
about the middle of June. Here such immense numbers 
are sometimes congregated, as to bend and even break down 
the limbs of the trees by their weight, and the woods re- 
sound with the din of their discordant drums from morning 
to evening. After pairing, the females proceed to prepare 
a nest for the reception of their eggs. They select, for this 
purpose, branches of a moderate size, which they clasp on 
both sides with their legs, and then, bending down the piercer 
at an angle of about forty-five degrees, they repeatedly thrust 
it obliquely into the bark and wood in the direction of the 
fibres, at the same time putting in motion the lateral saws, 
and in this way detach little splinters of the wood at one 
end, so as to form a kind of fibrous lid or cover to the 
perforation. The hole is bored obliquely to the pith, and 
is gradually enlarged by a repetition of the same operation, 
till a longitudinal fissure is formed of sufficient extent to 
receive from ten to twenty eggs. The side-pieces of the 
piercer serve as a groove to convey the eggs into the nest, 
where they are deposited in pairs, side by side, but separated 
from each other by a portion of woody fibre, and they are 
implanted into the limb somewhat obliquely, so that one end 
points upwards. When two eggs have been thus placed, 
the insect withdraws the piercer for a moment, and then 
inserts it again and drops two more eggs in a line with the 
first, and repeats the operation till she has filled the fissure 
