
HEMIPTERA. 

Cl @ aaa A TR A 'T A. 
GREAT BLACK CHINESE FROG-HOPPER. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Black; wings white, black at the bafe; veins yellowifh brown. 
Tertriconra Arrata: atra alis albis bafi nigris: venis teftaceo. Fab. Ent. Syft, A. 203. 28. 


Though the obfervations that Sir G. Staunton has made on the natural produétion of China, in his late 
publication, were neceffarily very general, the fcience of infects appears to have engaged his particular 
attention ; and on that account we muft lament, that untoward events, precluded him from obferving more 
minutely, the peculiarities of fome kinds, and the economical purpofes of others. 
In the general hiftories of unknown countries, (and we can fcarcely confider China in any other view) 
the entomologift muft expe to find his favourite fcience neglected, or treated in a manner more likely to 
excite curiofity than reward enquiry. The work of this learned writer is an exception to our remark; 
though a few inaccuracies occur in it. We perufe the following account of an unknown fpecies of Cicada 
with particular regret, becaufe, it withholds information interefting to the naturalift, and, from its air of 
novelty, is likely to promote an erroneous opinion concerning that fingular tribe of infects. 
“ The low and fometimes marfhy country, through which the river 4 paffes, is favourable to the pro- 
dution of infeéts; and many of them were troublefome, fome principally by their fting ; and others by their 
conftant ftunning noife. The mufic emitted by @ /pecies of Cicada was not of the vocal kind; but produced 
by the motion of two flaps or lamella which cover the abdomen or belly of the infeé&. It is the fignal of 
invitation from the male of that /pecies to allure the female, which latter is quite unprovided with thefe 
organs of courtfhip b.” 
Again, when defcribing a town higher up the river, that author fays, ‘‘ The fhops of Hai-tien, in addi- 
tion to neceffaries, abounded in toys and trifles, calculated to amufe the rich and idle of both fexes, even to 
cages containing infects, fuch as the zoi/y Cicada, and a large {pecies of the Gryllus ¢.” 
The reader may imagine from the firft account, that the mufic of every other fpecies of Cicada is of the 
@ Pei-ho. » Chap. 3. Vol. II. odtavo. * Chap. 4. Vol. Il, 

