Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-06-12

meuts, aud au,ennH. The irst Impulse OF
the Imperfect insect on d-tachn5 itse-f
from lis grave is 10 ascend lew inches, or
even feet, up the trunks OF trees. at the
loot OF which their holes appear in the grea-
test number, or upon the rail- fences, whlch
are soon sprinklpd with them. In these
positions they straightway fix themselves
firmly 10y their barUsd Cuws. Half an
hours Observation will then show you the
next change which Is 10 be undergone. A
spllt takes place upon the shell down from
the back OF the head % the commencement
OF the rings OF the abdomen, and the labor
OF the spli-eXt.ication follows. With ma
ny thrOe and many a strain you may see
the tail and hind legs appear through the
rent, then the wings eXluclte themselves
| painfully from a little case in the ou;er
shell, in which they lie exqujsitely folded
up, but 10 no. uHiur themselves and,
lastly, the head, with il antennB, dSeu-
cages itself, and yuu behold before you the
| newborn insect from Us prison. Iae
slough is not dtsengaged, bur remains i'In-
| y fixed to the hbres OF the wood, and tha
insect, langujily crswuga few inches re-.
astonishment. 1t is rather under an inch
in length, aud appears humid and tender;
the cOIOrs are dull, tho eyes glazed, the legs
/ feeble, and the wings for a while after they
are opened appear crumped lld uasa-llc.
| All this passes before the sun has gained
his tall strength. As the day advances, the
cUlors Of the insect become more lively,
the wings attain full stretch, and the body
dries and is arIced up for its future little
| life Of activity and enjoyment.
Between ten and eleven the newly-risen
tribes begin to tame their Instruments
You become conscious of sound filing
| the air far and wide, different from the or
dlnary ones which may meet your ear. A
OW distinct hum saIuteS you, turn where
| you will. 1t may be compared to the SIM
merlng of an enormous caldron; it swelS
| mperceptlbly, changes It's character, and
| hecOmrs fuller and sharper. Thousands
| seem TO join IN; aAd by an hour alter mid
! day the whole country, far aud wide, rings
with the unwonled sound. The insects
are now lodged in or flying about thp to-
aye above, a few hours having been thus
sufficient TO give them luiI strength and ac-
| tiVity, and bring them into iull voice -
Well may the schoolboy and the curly haa-
| ded negro rejoice at the sound; Tor their
| hands will never want a pliylhl"g Tor ma
ny days TO comc. Well may the birds Of
| the forest rejoice; for this is a season OF
plenty 10 them. The pgsand poultry, too ,
they iatten on the iNnumaranle sWarms
| which before many DAYS will cover the
ground in the decline Of their strength
The pretty lnsect-ior it is truly such
with its dark body, red eyes, aud u, glossy
wings, interIaCed by bright yellow fibres,
enjoys bu. little week; and that merry
harplng VIII ch pervudes creation from sum
rise TO sundown for the time OF its coutIn-
nance, is but OF some SIX days duration.
Its Chuac.er would be almost mpOs-IbIr to
describe, though it rings ia my ears every
time think Of The insect. Like ali those
Of It's tribe, the sound the action Of Internal
muscles upon a species OF Tyre or elastic
membrane covered with network. and sit
uatrd under the wings, the action OF which
have often witnessed. The female in
sect may utter faint sound, but how do
not know; il is the male who is endowed
with the powerful means which | have de-
scribed. Though the sound is generally
even and continuous as long as The insect
| is uninterrupted, yet there is a drO.I variety
observable at times; but what It expresses,
whelher peculiar satisfaction or jealousy,
Or what other passion, cannot divine. It
has been well described ny the word Pha-
ro! the first syllable being long and suS-
tanned, and connected with the second,
which is pitched nearly an octave lower
| hya ling sm0rzGHdPr descent. Daring
the whole period OF their existence the cIo-
sest attention does not detect their eating
anything, and with the exception Of tri-
fling injury received 10y trees consequent
upon the process OBSERVED by the female in
laying her eggs, they are perfectly innOXI-
Gus. The end to which they seem to be
senlto the upper dry is purely confined to
the propagation Of their species. A few
! days after their appearance, the female be-
gins toIay her eggs. She is furnished with
Ovapostor situated in sheath on the ab-
domen, composed of two serraled hard par
! ule spines, which she has the power OF
working with an alternate perpendicular
motion. When her time comes, she SEE
! lectS OF the outermost tWlgS OF the forest
trees Or shrubs, and sets to work aud makes
a series of longitudinal Jagged incIssions
in the tender bark and wood. In each of
these she lays row of tiny eggs, and Then
goes TO work again. Having. deposited
to the hearts content, she crawls up the
twg few inches yet from the tcrmina
ton, and placing herself, makes two or
three perpendicular casts into the very
pith. The duty is now terminated. Both
male and female become weak, the former
ceases 10 be tunefuI; the charm OF their
existence is at an cad; they pine away,
become blind, fall to the grouna in myriaas,
and in ten or fifteen days after their first
appearance they all perish. Not so, how
ever, thei, seeds. The perforated twigs
dIp: The first wind braaks Them from the |