New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-28
SINGING INSECTS.
TINY PETS THAT MAKE MUSIC IN JAPAN
ESE HOMES.
From The wide world Magazine.

From The Wide World Magazine
Singing birds are priced in all countries but
II is only in Japan that the notes of insects
have been appreciated and the insects named
according to their different voices. The love Of
listening 10 these singing insects has for centu-
rleS been an impassiOLed pastiue in Japan and
mas created at last Il unique trade and market
IN TOXIC toward the end OF May little cages or
eXqulsItely cut bamboo may be seen hung up
IN the Verandas of houses, and sin the cool Of
the dawn and at the close OF summer days
strange little Whistles and tinkings and trills
I proceed from these cages and make the air
sound with the music Usually il ia in the
evening after their baths that the people go
and sit in their verandas TO listen to the sing
ing insects which they have imprisoned there
1t was late one afternoon toward the end OF
May and was moving from room to room in
the quiet Buddhist temple which my home. The
bush that comes at the fall of twilight on
ali the world, when my attention was suddenly
arrested by silvery tril, which filed at inter-
walls the whole place. 1t was delicate and clear,
like ethereaIized BIRDS song and vet of much
smaller volume than a birds note. called the
priests daughter, and asked her what it I
heard singing. That is 'SuZu-mushf sing
ing, she replied. come and I viii show you
where il is She led me to the back Of the tenn
pie and pointed to- the caves of a cottage Op-
posIle. LOOKING across saw tiny reed cage
hanging up, and III one corner small black in
sect, hardly discernible in the dim light. That
is the insect you heard singing" said the priests
daughter 1t is called a 'Suzu-mushi' and it's
voice is beautiful and cool"
In three days the next en-nichi Of Nita came
round-May "A: and Riyo. the priests daugh-
ter, accompanied by a servant and myself
wendell way with a lantern to the night
fair at Mita- The whole neighborhood seemed to
/ have turned out to visit the fair and the cheer
ful clatter Of clogs appeared to lessen the gloom
of the dark streets and made up for their want
/ Of light IN the distance the dull glow Of hun
dreds OF primitive oil lamps put up in front OF
the stalls set their smoky mark on the place
where the fair was held. We passed innumera-
I bic stalls, which l shall not attempt to describe
here as well strange portable gardens OF
plants trees and flowers and goldfish nurseries,
At last we came to a stall from which proceed
ed a Sh TIil Ia f-aIO f RI
say, it impossible to distinguish one in
seCt's cry from another, for they all seemed to
be chrping and whistling and trilling. one
against the other in a frantic and bewildering
way, that I wondered how the ''Mushiya"
could sit so calmly beneath his stall waiting for
There were so many eager purchasers crowd
ing round the little stall that gave up the idea
of buying the insect I wanted that evening. The
insect fancier gave me his address, and next
morning 1 made my way through many back
streets to his dwelling. It the never-tO be-
forgotten chorus of insects that guided at
last down a little back lane to the spot at the
end of row Of one ToOmed cots. The cupboardS
full of insects all shut up in their cages were
there, and the old man, opening one Of the
doors, soon found me "SuZu-muShi" for four
sen, and a pretty cage for il in the shape Of a
ran Tor 10 sen, or threepence IN English money.
He told me that 1 must not hang the insect up
in the draught, but in some cool. quiet corner,
and that, Furthermore, it must be fed fresh
| cucumber every morning I promised to follow
his instructions carefully. and carrying home
my insect hung him up in a corner of my room
and waited for the serenade- But for two days
the "Suzu-mushi was quite silent. In vain
put in slice after slice Of cucumber; in vain I
Whistled and tried myself at the bars OF his
/ tiny cage. He remained mute. In despair !
/ called for the priests wife. What is the mat
! ter with this insect? 1t won't sing TO meP she
/ heard me complain. BE patient" she answered
/ The 'SuZu-mushi is in a cage. and will not
! sing till it is accustomed to it's surround
! ings It feels full of fear and cannot sing Wait
/ a little" So I waited, and the next evening,
! when the cage was hung up the little crea ture
! began to sing merrily, tinkling away like tiny
! bell, as its name implies.