The Cicada 
205 
slur. The crescendo on the slur up to g and d commences on the 
last note of the triplet, and the slur itself seems to be vibrato. 
The tempo is at the speed of about five quavers a second. The 
song is usually interspersed with sharp clicks or clips, as shewn 
in (2) and (3) ; these variations are very loud and shrill, and on 
a hot day, with scores of performers chirring and clicking away 
» 
^ <■! ■ ^1 ■ L /« 1* I l /- I I L /I ii li ola «l I L <*laL A • I <1 
di.clik.a cli.clik.a cli.cli.clik.a cli.clik a 
s8^. 
<r" 
iritr . 
H' r r fr- : 
theep theep theep theep theep 
:><>< > 
6 
t 
------—-- - 
\ j n j-i 
clik clik clik cl i k clik clik «/ p * 
ay C/fc c//> ay c/i- cfi c/ih 
z.8 v ^ - 
brrr* theep brrr theep 
<$~J^ =i J ^ i K 
the sound almost becomes oppressive. There is, however, a deep 
interest, that quite overcomes the oppressiveness, in picking out 
the songs of individual performers, when an astonishing 
amount of variation is revealed. The clicks are caused by a 
snicking or snapping of the wings, as may readily be seen if 
the cicadas are watched. 
The abo\e were noted in January j and in February, (4) to 
(9) were noted in Wellington. In one song, (4), the click liad 
become predominant instead of subordinate; there were from ten 
to twelve clicks in a second. In another (5), there was a long- 
drawn theep on one note, about two crotchets in a second, the 
theeps broken by occasional pauses. In another, (6), there was a 
constant throbbing slur from a to e and down again, the whole 
being a vibrato, very penetrating, of from 15 to 20 beats a second, 
W1 1 a sm g le - double, or triple click at the bottom of each wave 
^ sound. This went on and on without intermission, no rest or 
ieav dividing the song; it was sung at a speed of about two 
io c lets in a second. In another, (7), there was a burr on the a, 
i- h seeon ds, a pause, a sharp theep on c, and an imme- 
i lop to a burred a, and so on. Another, (8), chirred from 
Q 
