Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-02
somelhLng Abont clcadas.

A few days ago the GAZETTE reported
that DR.. Horace Burr OF this city had dis
covered that the female seyenteen-year
locust, after depositipg her eggs in
growing twig, sometimes cut the twig |
nearly through, evidently to ensure its
dying and falling to the ground at an |
early date. We do not know that DR.. |
Burr has been the first entomologist TO |
make this discovery, but we have not met
with this information in the many news
paper articles upon the habits
of the cicada which have fallen
under our observation. Thus We find
Mr.. Morris saying, in last Thursdays
Philadelphia Ledger, after describing how
the locust punctures the twigs and lays
her eggs therein: "The punctured twigs
are so weakened by the operation that
they very frequently break off when
swung, by violent Winds" And in this
he agrees with others who have written
ON the cicada all of them, so far as we
have read, strangely enough seeming to
have missed the point which DIR. Burr
now makes-that the insect designedly
and methodically cuts the twig nearly
off, leaving it hanging by only few
fibres ready to be blown to the ground by
the first high wind.
Since the GAzETTE's first reference
to this discovery, DR.. Burr has been busy
in making further investigations and he
brought to this Office yesterday, for in
spection, nearly a wheelbarow-load of
fresh gathered twigs many of which had
thus been partially severed. Among the
woods represented We're three varieties of
oak, chestnut, elm, hickory, black walnut,
spicewood and butternut. The doctor
has frequently observed the female cicada
while engaged in this amputation act
and, as the result of his observation and
study of the insect, he feels warranted in
formulating the following:
That the cicada, as q rule, after laying
her eggs, cuts the twig, below the egg
Sits, nearly through, using the saws of
her ovipositor for this purpose.
That the end of the twig thus left hang
ing by just woody fibre enough to tenn
porarily support its weight, soon dies and
falls to the ground or is blown to the
ground by the first gale.
That the intention of the insect is that
the twig shall fall before the eggs are
hatched out, probably because the mois-
ture of the soil is essential to ensure the
successful completion of the Matching
process, but certainly the chances of the
young grub getting safely into the soil
without falling into the clutches Of some
of his many winged enemies are greatly
increased by the timely fall of the egg
laden twig.
That the almost complete severance o.
the twig, especially when the added injur,
caused by the egg punetures is taken int
consideration, is sufficient to cause til,
speedy death of the egg-laden portion with
out resorting to the theory that the insect
in the act of oyiposition, iniects any
thing poisonous or inimical to vegetabl
life.
M. H., H. IA.
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iue' e''nei 'ee"use 'ie cieaua HIS pee
iiin'eie1 AWAY vi nus iiiloh prey
Some ., her il'ly enemies peiore con
Pie'ine ner i'0ofs' Ut oeo''"Se 'ne worh
o'ipo'i'ion nus nearly vi en'ireiy "a
naus'e'' nel Ni'uii'y'
JPN iew VI tne 'wlsS eAiiio'teu D
~. DUR 'lere were very evident lholc'
'oHs 'lia' 'hiS wofk OF P'ene-alhpuu'tio
hau oeeh Deguh put Tor some reason nc
'arfieu ou'' me DOCTOR ''lso tnihks
PosSioie 'ii''1 'ne clcaot occasionally To-
ge's Or oVerlooks ioeailties IN which 81
mas oepositeu some OF her eggs ana elth'
negieets 10 cut the twlg containing thei
OF cuts II NJ the wrong place. The ov
posi'or OF the insect Is an interesting o.
Ject tof dssectlon and mlcroscoplcal e
animation and lis thus described by ID
NT,,,,.