The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-07-03

is sometlmcs faint trace of them on
the edges of the segments beneath.
THE large form, has been observed to
make its appearance from Gig t 10 ten
days earlier from the small, form. and
| there is not single specimen of the
latter among a number of the tn rteen-
year brood that captured in Nav, 1868,
though took lew specimens after
| ward.
1.-The season of their appearance and
disappearance differs somewhat with
the latitude. though not so materially
as one might suppose. According to
the records they appeared in 1868 ear
lier in the South than in the North; but
the last half of May can be set down as
the period during which they emerge
from the ground in any part of the
country, while they generally leave BY
the 4th OF July. In st. Louis County,
Mo-, in 1868, they commenced issuing on
the 22d of MAY, and by the 2sth of the
same month the woods resounded with
the rafting concourse of the perfect in
sect. As is the case with great many
other insects. the males make their ap-
pearance several DAYS before the fe-
males. and also disappear sooner.
Hence, in the latter part of the cicada
season. though the woods are still full
of females, the song of but very few
males will be heard
The larvae are frequently found at a
great depth, Notwithstanding the denial
of the fact Thus, Mr.. Henry Sadorus,
of Port Byron. ILL.,. who built a house
in 1852. found that they came up
through the bottom of his cellar in 1854.
the cellar being over five feet deep. and
Mr.. T. Guy. of Sulphur Springs, in
formed me that he had found them at
depth of ten feet below the surface.
'.When ready to transform they in
variably attach themselves to some OBJ
ject. and. after the fly has evolved, the
pupa skin is left still adhering. The
operation of emerging from the pupa
most generally takes place between the
hours of six and niue p. M: and tee
minutes after the pupa skin bursts Oh
the back the cicada will have entirely
freed itself from it. Immediately after
leaving the pupa skin the body is soft
and white. VITA the exception of two
black patches on the prothorax. The
wings are developed in less than an
hour. but the natural colors of the body
are not acquired till several hours have
elapsed. These recently developed
cicadas are somewhat dull for day or
so after transforming, but soon become
more active. both in flight and song, as
their muscles harden. For those who
are not informed of the fact Twill state
that the males alone are capable OF
| singing" and that they are true VEN
triloquists, their rafting noise being
produced by a system of muscles in the
lower part of the body, which work on
the drums under the wings, alternately
tightening and loosening them. The
general noise. on approaching the in
tested woods, is combination of that
of a distant threshing machine and a
distant frog pond. That which they
make when disturbed mimics a nest of
young snakes or young birds under
similar clrcumstances-as sort of scream.
They can also produce a chirp some
what like that of a cricket, and very
loud, shrill screech, prolonged for tif-
teen or twenty seconds, and gradually
increasing in force and then decreasing.
/
their eggs in the twigs of different trees;
and though for this purpose they seem
to prefer the oaks and the hickories,
they oviposit in almost every kind OF de-
ciduous tree, and even in herbaceous
| plants and in evergreens. | have seen
their eggs in the chestnut, locust. will
low and cottonwood. in peach twigs of
not more than cne-eighth of an inch in
diameter.
The eggs hatch between the 10th of
July and the lst of August, or in about
six weeks after being deposited. The
newly-hatched larva differs considera-
bly, from the full-grown larva. but
| principally in having much longer and
distinctly eight-iointed antenna. 1t is
quite active, and moves its antenna as
texterously and as rapidly as does an
ant As soon as it has extricated itself
from an exceedingly fine membrane.
which still envelops it after it has left
the egg, our little cicada drops DELHI
erately to the ground: its specific gray
ity being SO insignificant that it falls
through the air as gently and as softly
as does feather.
Upon leaving the ground to trans
form, the pupa are attacked by differ
ent quadrupeds, by birds and by canni-
bal insects, such as ground beetles.
dragon flies, soldier bugs. etc. while
hogs and poultry of all kinds greedily
feast upon them. In the perfect fly
state they are attacked by at least one
insect parasite. for dipterous maggots
! (the Larvae. probably. of some tachina
fiy) may occasionally be found in their
bodies. In this state they are also
often attacked by peculiar fungus.
One male specimen, re-
ceived in 1868 from Pennsylvania, was
affected by fungus. the internal parts OF
the abdomen being converted into what
appeared to be brown mold.
1T is astonishing what wide
spread fear exists of the cicada on ac-
count of its supposed singing power.
There is scarcely a paper in the United
States but published some account of a
locust sting in 1868, while unpub-
lished accounts were equally numerous
One of the editors of the st. Louis Re
publican was kind enough to clip out
for me all accounts of such stings
which he found in its numerous en-
changes, and the number which had
accumulated before the end of the
! locust season was truly surprising.
Some people even denied themselves
the pleasure of eating blackberr es.