Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-04-18
SINGING OF INSECTS.
JAPAN THE ONLY COUNTRY
WHERE IT IS APPRECIATED.
There the TRY Pete, IN Their Exquisite
Bamboo Cages, Make the Evening
Air Vocal with Their Little Clear
and Bell.Like Cries.

Singing birds are priced In all coun-
tries, but 1t is only in Japan that the
notes of insects have been appreciated
and the insects named according to
their different voices. The love OF lis
tening to these singing insects has Tor
centuries been an impassioned pastime
n Japan. and has created at last
unique trade and market. In Toxic
toward the end Of May little cages OF
exQuisitely cut bamboo may be seen
hung up in the verandas of houses, ana
in the cool of the dawn and at the close
IF summer days strange little whistles,
md tinklings. and trills proceed from
these cages and make the air resound
WITH the music. Uusally it Is In the
evening after their baths that the peO-
pie go and sit In their verandas to lis
len to the singing insects which they
ave imprisoned there. 1t was late
me afternoon toward the end of May,
nd l was moving from room to room
n the quiet Buddhist temple which IL
NY home. The hush that comes at the
all of twilight was on all the world,
when my attention was suddenly ar
-ested by a silvery trill, which filed
It intervals the whole place. 1t was
lelicate and clear. like an etherealized
birds song, and Jet Of much smaller
volume than . birds note. / called the
priests daughter and asked her what
It was I heard singing. THAT is
'suzu-mushr singing" she replied;
7 nzl,< xx-bo 9
| She led me to the back Of the temple
and pointed to the caves Of cottage
opposite. Looking across, l saw tiny
reed cage hanging up. and in one cor
ner a small black insect, hardly dis
cernible in the dim light. That Is the
insect you heard singing" said the
priests daughter. 1T is called 'suzu-
| nushi,' and its voice 10 beautiful and
ccol."
In three days the next en-nichi Of
Mita came round-May "a; and Riyo.
the priests daughter. accompanied by
Il servant and myself. wended her way
| with a lantern to the night fair at Mita.
The whole neighborhood seemed to
have turned out to visit the fair, and
|
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 innumerable stalls, which l
shall not attempt to describe here, as
well as strange portable gardens Of
plants, trees and flowers, and goldfish
nurseries. At last we came to stall
| from which proceeded a shrill babel Of
insect sounds. Needless to say, it was
| impossible to distinguish one insects
cry from another, for they all seemed
to be chirping. and whistling, and trill-
ing, one against the other. in q frantic
and bewildering way, SO that l won
dered how the "mushhiya" could sit 50
| calmly beneath his stall waiting for
| customers.
| There were so many eager purchas-
crs crowding round the little stall that
gave up the idea Of buying the insect
wanted that evening. The insect fan
cier gave me his address, and next
morning made my way through many
back streets to his dwelling. 1t was
the never-to-be-forgotten chorus Of in
sects that guided me at last down a
/, little back lane to the spot at the end
of row Of one-roomed cots. The cup
boards full Of insects, all shut up in
their cages, were there, and the old
man, opening one Of the doors, soon
found me a "suzu-nushi" for four sen,
and a pretty cage for 1t in the shape
of a fan for Is sen, or threepsnce in
English money. He told me that l
must not hang the insect up in the
draught, but in some cool. quiet corner.
and that, Furthermore. it must be fed
bn fresh cucumber every morning. 1
promised to follow his instructions
carefully, and, carrying home my in
sect, hung him up in a corner of my
room and waited for the serenade. But
Cor two days the 'suZu-mushf was
lutte silent. In vain l put in slice after
slice Of cucumber; in vain 1 whistled
| tiny cage. He remained mute. In
despair. 1 called for the priests wife.
..what is the matter with this insect
1t won't sing to me!" she heard me
complain BE patient" she answered.
The .suzu-mushi" Is in a new cage,
and will not sing till 1t Is accustomed
to its new surroundings. 1t feels full
Of fear and cannot sing. Wait little. "
So waited. and the next evening,
when the cage was hung up, the little
creature began to sing merrily, tinkling