The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-07
SINGING INSECTS.
Tiny Pets That Make Music in ia
panese Homes.
From the NM World Magazine.

papese Homes.
From the Wide World Magazine
Singing birds are priced in all countries
but it is only in Japan that the notes of
insects have been appreciated and the in
sects named according to their different
voices, The love of listening to these sing
ing Insects has for centuries been an
impassioned pastime in Japan and has ere
ated at last a unique trade and market
In Toxic toward the end of May little
cages ri eXquisitely cut bamboo may be
seen hung up in the verandas Of houses
and in the cool of che dawn and at the
close of summer days strange little wills
ties and tinklinGs and trills proceed from
these cages and make the air resound with
tne music Usually il is in the evening
after their baths that the people so and
sit in their verandas to listen to the sing
ing insects which they have imprisone 1
there 1t was late one afternoon iowa ri
the end of May, and l was moving from
room TO room in the quiet Buddhist tenn
pie which is my home. The hush that
comes at the fall of twilight was no all
the world, when my attention was sudden
ly arrtsted by a silvery trill, which filled
at Intervals the whole place. 1t was deli
cate and clear, like an etherealiZed bird s
song, and yet of much smaller volume than
a birds note. l called the priests daugh-
ter, and asked her what it was l heard
singing. That is a 'Suzu-mushr singing 50
she replied. She led me to the back of
the temple and pointed to the caves of a
cottage opposite. Looking across. | saw
a tiny reed cage hanging up, and in one
corner a small black insect, hardly dis
Gel hiDle in the dim light. That is the
insect you heard singing said the
priests daughter. ''It is called a 'Suzu-
mushi,' and its voice is beautiful and
cool"
In three days the next en-nichi of Mita
came round-May "a; and Riyo. the
priests daughter, accompanied by a SER
want and myself wended our way with a
| lentern to The night fair at Mita. The
whole neighborhood seemed to have turn
ed out to visit the fair, and the cheerful
chatter 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 hundreds 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 innumerab BILE
stalls, which l shall not attempt to de-
scribe here, as well as strange portable
gardens of plants, trees and flowers and
goldfish nurseries. At last we came to A
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
chirpng and whstling and thrilling, one
against the other, in a frantic and bewil-
ldering way, so that ! wondered how the
'Mushiya" could sit so calmly beneath his
stall waiting for customers.
There were so many eager purchasers
crowding round the httle stall that l gave
up the idea of buying the insect I wanted
that evening. The insect fancier gave me
his address, and next morning | made
my way through many back streets 10
his dwelling 1t was the never be for
gotten chorus of insects that guided me
at last down a little back lane to the
spot at the end of row of one-roomed
cots. The cupboards full of insects, ali
shut up their cages, were there and the
oid man, opening one of the doors soon
found me a "Suzu-mushi' for four sen,
and pretty cage for it in the shape of a
ran for 10 sen, or threepence In English
money. He told me that / must hang
the insect up IN the draught, but in some
cool, quiet corner and that, Furthermore,
II must be fed on fresh cucumber every
morning. / promised TO follow his in
structions 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 I put in shce after
Slice of cucumber; i'm vain l whistled and
trilled myself al the bars of his tiny cage.
II e remained mute. In despair I called
for the priests wife. what is the matter
with this insect? II won't sing for met"
she heard me complain. BE patient. "
she answered. The 'S3uzu-4nushi is in a
new cage, and will not sing tin il is ac-
customed 10 its new surroundings II
feels full of fear and cannot sing Wait a
little" SO | waited, and the next evening.
when The cage was hung up, the little
creature began to sing merrily tlnkHng
away ike tiny bell, as its name i'm
plies