The Osceola times., 1885-07-18
LOCUST LEARNING.
Curious Information About the
Cicada Septendecim.
An Interesting and Instructive Chapter on
the Dreaded Locust, Furnished by the
Entomologist of the Agrlcuit-
ural Bureau.

Prof Riley, Entomologist of the Ma
tional Bureau of Agriculture, recently
prepared bulletin on the Periodical
Cicada." The following extracts from
the advance proof-sheets of the inter-
csting pamphlet are taken from a Wash
ington special to the Cleveland Plain
Dealer: ...-.
The mctamorphoses Of insects, their
Instructive industry, Their quarrels and
Their instincts afford abundant food for
w love of the marvellous; but few
species can claim such singular his
tory as can our periodical cicada. We
are moved to admiration in contem-
plating the fact that an insect, after liv-
Ing for nearly seventeen years in the
bowels of the earth, should at last
ascend from its earthly retreat. change
itssuggish, creeping and wing'ess form,
and, endowed with the power of flight,
become denizen of the air and enjoy
the full glory of the sun. But our won
der increases when we reflect that this
same insect has appeared in some part
or other of the United States at regular
intervals of seventeen years for cent
urles, aye. for ages, in the past! Long
ere Columbus lrod American soil this
lowly insect must have appeared rcgu-
larly at its appointed time. 1t must
have filled the woods with its rafting
song when none but wild beasts and
sa'ages were present to hear it. To
me there is something pleasant in the
"a That through its periodicity we are
enabled with tolerable certainty to 20
back, in thought, for centuries in the
past, to particular month of particu-
lar year, or even to given day, when
the woods resounded with its song. in
The same manner as they did in 1868, or
VIII the present year.
III was my good fortune to discover
mat besides the sevente en-year broods,
'he appearance of one of which was re-
corded As long as 1858, there are also
lXirteen-year broods; and that, though
oth sometimes occur in the same
States, yet in general terms the seven
leen-year broods may be said to belong
70 the Northern and the thirteen year
eroods 20 the Southern States, the divid-
ing line being about latitude 80 degrees,
uough In some places the seventeen
lear broods extend below this line, while
IN Illinois the thirtcen-year broods run
up considerably beyond it
1T 50 happened that one of the largest
se'enteen-y year broods, together with
one oil the largest thirteen-year broods.
appeared simultaneously in the summer
" zoos. Such an event, so far as re-
satus these two particular broods. had
.ol taken place since the year 1647,
2OSg. Feo "s"'" '"' ''0 '"'
there are absolutely no perceptible
lcelIc differences between the seven
AZ ear and the thirteen-year broods,
v,n ~, I Than in the timo of maturing; but
%"le The insects forming these two
SSi''ses oi broods are not specifically
"c' they are good and distinct
fees winch do not cross, and l have
.aereiore, for convenience sake. named
decim. ''oou' o''a'" io
f., ~ is not little singular, also, that
Houstnct forms occur in both races
IIarse one and a small one--the former
IL; 'r more numerous than the latter.
sa "s TACT has been observed in past
~ anu was noticed in 1868 by indie
rb1"oeht H. observers in different parts of
hr neountry. Indeed, it was observed
bso tt Hildreth, of Marietta, O., as far
d"o' "on as 1880. The true ccada scpten-
~ ssv,n Su, of Linneus occurs in the greatest
so npers' both in seventeen and thir-
an year broods. II will measure, on
irana a'ei age, one and one-half inches
VIM Iu The head to the tip of ths closed
tbraes and almost always expands over
1a aee inches. The whole under side of
coIo %. abdomen is of dull orange-brown
FAM. fu', and, in the male, more especially.
Wib M OF live of the segments are edged
~ ,PiI .ne same color on the back.
neo, ne other form Is not, on an average.
snS In more than two-thirds as large.
or,. u usually lacks entirely the dull
abdominal marks. though there