The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-06-20
stage of maturity. As this approaches
they gradually work to the surface,
burrowing their way and filing the
FLY, SHOWING THE DRUM.

passages behind them with the earth
dug out in front. This is perceived
by the discolored earth filing the bur-
row behind the insect, and the last
place of rest, where it makes its
Transformation, is only few inches
in length, close to the surface of the
ground and lined with sort of cement,
covered with a waterproof varnisb,
to make it dry and comfortable. On
warm, sunny days the insects have been
found peepiny forth, as if curiously
surveying their future scene OF life
and gathering information about it.
It has been observed by Mr.. Rathvon,
a skillful entomologist, that when the
ground happens to be wet these in
sects, impelled by instinct, build up q
burrow, projecting above the surface,
in which they take refuge when the
ground may be overAowed by heavy
rain. This is seen in the illustration.
When the proper time, which Solo
mon tells US every creature knows by
natural intuition, comes, the mature
insect, fully provided with wings,
crawls out of the ground, always at
night, and seeks tree, up which it
creeps and fastens itself by its strong,
sharp claws. Then it is soft, whitish
grub of the shape shown. In this con-
dition the skin dries, cracks and
tursts open along the back, and the
perfect cicade creeps out through the
rent, leaving the empty shell still ad-
herring to the tree as semi-transpar-
ent, parchment like skin. Then it
emerges into the air and, after few
preliminary attempts to spread its
wings, by which they are stiffened and
dried, the fly rises in the air with a
strong, swift fight, and, selecting its
temporary home in which to pass the
few days of its perfect stage, proceeds
to active business. The female, hear
ing the call of its mate, selects its
partner and makes preparations for
depositing it's eggs. This is done on
the small branches of the trees, the
eggs being deposited in neat double
rows parallel, and arranged, as shown,
up and down the bark. Many such
rows are made on each twig, 30 that
the majority of them dry and die,
leaving the tree often bare and dead,
apparently, but wholly so as to the
injured branchs and twigs. The fly is
not known to feed in this stage, but
simply performs its parental functions
and then dies.
The letter "W" is quite plainly
marked on forewings of the mature
insect, and some superstitions persons
have greatly alarmed themselves,
most unnecessarily, by thinking this
meant war. Others, more sensible,
think it means warm weather, and
prepare their thin clothing for imme-
diate use. Other persons have feared
that these insects may sting, and care
fully avoid handling them. AS they
have no sting, and are only armed
with beak for sucking, which, how
ever, is never used by the perfect fly,
such fears are groundless. There is
nothing poisonous about them, and,
like some other noisy animals, their
bark is worse than their bite, if this
may be said of a creature that cannot
bite.
This periodical insect does not ap-
pear all over the country at once, but
each locality has its different period.
Next year it is due in Missouri, Iowa
and Illinois. Some persons have
thought that it was this fly that made
the plague that so much worried the
ancient Egyptians in the time OF
Moses, and, indeed, it might well be
called plague, if the whole country
were swarming with these screeching,
noisy creatures, formidable in their
appearance and dreadful to the igno-
rant by their sudden and overwhelm-
ing possession of the land.
Few persons would think for q mo-
ment that this large and conspicuous
fly could be close relation to that
minute and insignificant creature, the
plant louse, which may be seen suck
ing the sap from the fresh, succulent
young growth of the roses and other
plants, or which are found so numer-
ously on the leaves of cabbsges; soft,
dusty-looking creatures they are,
gathered in masses and busy sucking
the sap from the leaves. The COM
mon chinch bug is another close re-
lation of the harvest fly and this
cicada, and so is that bloodthirsty in.
sect that disturbs us in the watches OF
the night and murders sleep as it bites
it's victims and sucks their blood.
The cicada is q sort of half brother of