The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-07-23


The Periodical Clca.la, or So.called Lo'
4 n Gust. 4 ~
Prof. ri y says: The thirteen. ar
bsoodAN t&s4fear ib4hribe mos 81
t4da % ur pg r. Ben ally q r.
&utt i'm tat6 u tn kst IND we OF
ss f. M EsS,s g an%$ll |S Ss
thirteen-ye year and seventcen-year) was
in 1860, and they will not recur during
the same year till 2l02, by which time
the timber conditions OF the, country
will have materially chan ed, and there
are very apt to be cities in many locall-
ties nows thronged with these sylvan
musicians.
The periodical cicada Is q large,
blackish, hQnopterots ineect: win ,rld
eyes. and four transparent Wings, the
front pair with red Borders: me aps'
pellation of '.locust'' was bestowed
upon it by the early settlers OF this
country from an erroneous notion that
It was identical with the ''plagues OF
Egypt recorded in Biblical lore. This
idea took such forcible possession OF
the Puritan mind that the shrilling OF
these insects was thought to be pro-
longed and threatening cry OF ''Pha'a-
raoh!' Its habits being entirely IN.
known in, those early times, its sudden
appearance" in prodigious numbers at
such long intervals naturally caused it
to be regarded as . supernatural
visitant sent for the two-fold purpose
of q plague, and q warning Hence
the popular superstition constituting
the W-like markings on the tips of
the upper wings into prophecy Of
"war.'' Timid people may rest assured
that they. portend nothing. unless it De
warm weather. The peculiar musical
apparatus of the males may be likened
to a pair of kettledrums. These drums
are formed Of convex plates of parch'
ment-like substance, folded into fine
plaits and located in cavities behind the
thorax. Muscles are attached internal,
ly to these plates by the contraction
and relaxation of which the drum -heads
are alternately frightened and lopsened.
the effect being 4 rapid succession OF
ishrill,, rattling sounds. fFho males only
possess these musical organs, the, fer
males being absolutely mute. "a fact
which was embodied, In the ancient
rhymes. -, = ;.i.a,esi 5a,,g ,,.,,.l
Happy the Cicada lives, ''"'"'
Forthey all have voiceless wives.
! The body Of the female is provided
| with conn licated piercer and ovipos'
itor, consisting Of a pairof tiny. double
edged saws and 4 spear-pointed borer'
which plays between them. When moi
in use this instrument is folded into a
longitudinal groove on the under sur
! face Of the abdomen. Both sexes have
! sharp beak, or haustellum, with which
they pierce the bark OF shrubs and trees
and extract 1.-THE small quantity OF say
which constitutes their sole nourish
msnt. s,,r,t,,. .sg, 90 .t.,,.. -..Ii -.iijtg
During the advent Of these insects
stories Of their stingihg human beings
sometimes fatally are always current
That the beak may sometimes be used a!
aweapon of, defense, is quite probable
but there is no proof that the sting thu!
caused is poisonous, and severe case
of singing are more likely caused by :
large digger wasp (Stizus grandis), th'
female of which has powerful sting
and buries the cicada as food for he
young. While carrying her victim he
flight is rapid. and should she tllel
knock against the human face, sh'
y would be apt to let 60 her prey and re
taliate By singing ..'.a. ".,
! With her oyipositor the female ci
cada penetrates the twigs OF trees, ant
inserts therein two, Il rows. OF egg
obliquely placed. The eggs are one
twelfth of an inch in length, of q pearl
white color, and taper at each end to Al
obtuse roint. They hatch in about 81.
! weeks, usually before the branch con
4 tanning them breaxs Off The newly
= matched c,cadais very active, its me
tons resembling those Of an ant I
. soon casts itself fearlessly from tn
highest tree.tops.' its insignitican
weight admitting of jts being waite
. gently downward by the breeze. In
PEELED by instinct, it at once burrow
4 under ground in search Of rootlets, upt.
ID whose exudations il must subsist, pene
trating, deeper and deeper into th
earth ii following their course; It hs
many times been found at 10 depth 4
3 FROM ten to twelve feet. -E.' et-.ssi hts,
: The only injury this fake locust ca
= cause to onp, crops 10 that resulting frol
! ovipositiou. which may be EXCEPTIONAL
!. severe, on young orchards. 1t has p
7 laws, and IS harmless compared wit
the true locusts. These belong to
Z mandib6late order (Orhoptera) of il
~ sectA, and their destructive powerl h,
! been recognized from time immeiloria
= To the fearful ravages oi our own m
! Mountain pcust {Caloptents ayprttt
!. Thomas), otherwise known IS u
= Western grssshoppers may bs' trace
J the protraeted depression of TIE pa
:. decade ssnd tits. principally with III
= species that the. United States. Entona
: logical Commission has been dsaln
since its organization. 'H"' }aH ~,
u -..il .k44-i. - :; M
Y Y 'aa 'di Dirt a. a:Polson. !, 'z.'''l''
9 WEI We AZ = accustomed 70 look upon di
!, a,ss'A bleinish, And Wage an eternal wa
!. faEe, against II because Dirt is qnples
~ ant tpths sye,' Somstihes e'aote it
= serious nuisance, in ,99ur way and! !!
% calsa of oenSuro from the upcharitahl