Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02
INSECTS THAT FIDDLE TUNES.
Grasshopper and Others Of It's Species
Have Natural Violins and Plav Duets.

From the Philadelphia North American.
The art of fiddling is not possessed by
man alone. Insects of the field and forest
many of them harmless and others classed
In the category of pests-have a little fiddle
and bow of their own. and use them to
strum their songs of love. By means of
their violin strings certain insects call upon
their mates. give signals, communicate In
telligence, and, perhaps. give expression to
their own little emotions.
They do not confine themselves to one
tune. In the daytime their trill is full of
spirit and joy; at night 1t takes on tinge
of melancholy and somberness. Even dur
ing daylight hours, when a cloud obscures
the sun. their song changes from sprightli-
ness to one of sorrow. Upon the tunes pro-
duced by the little musicians depends the
domestic happiness of the insects The
male alone fiddies, and IL his love tune be
true his chances of winning a noiSeless
bride are much better. Should his fiddle
be out of tune or his song be poor, he is IL
able to remain disconsolate bachelor.
The long-horned grasshopper, or true To-
Gust, and the common cricket are probably
the best-known of all stimulating or fid-
ding insects.
OF the long horned grasshopper the katy
did is characteristic representation This
little musician Is supplied with two sets OF
wings. The outer and heavier ones are
used for flying. while the inner pair make
up the bow and fiddle.
Near the base of these inner wings is To-
Gated a set of strong veins BY bringing
the veins on each wing into contact and
rubbing them together The song of the To-
Gust Is produced.
talented musician of the orchestra var
.ety Is the common little grasshopper His
fiddle is attached to one wing, and he uses
his hind leg for a bow. On this leg is a
line of little. beadlike prominences, from
each of which grows number of fine
hairs. When the grasshopper draws this
leg back and forth over the violin arrange
ment on his wings his love songs swell out
on the air.
The female grasshopper tries to initiate
her musical mate, and fiddles away with
vi6or, but for all that she is unable to
produce a single sound
A natural musician, too, Is the little
cricket, and his tune is generally louder
and more lively than thatso OF the locust. 1t
is said that the fiddling efforts of some of
these little chaps have been heard at least
a mile from the place where they were so
induStriously working.
One tune by day and another by night fs
the program of the cricket. He has even
been known to change the tune when the
sun has been temporarily obscured by
clouds. When approached he will cease his
musical strains. Sometimes. however. he
has been fooled. and has permitted observ-
ing scientists to get close to him and watch
him conducting his one instrument or
chestra.
Fiddling, however is not the only means
by which these musical insects serenade
their loved ones
The seventeen-year locust, for instance,
puts the melody of his soul Into the rever
berations of two abdominal drums
These drumheads are tight. To each is
attached a strong muscle, which the insect
can tighten or relax at will. The method
of operation Is similar to that of pressing
upon the bottom of a tin pam
The most simple noise of all insects Is
that of the deathwatch beetle. This bug
gets it's name from the superstition that
some one who hears its noise Is soon to
die.
II Is fond of burrowing into old wood, and
for that reason Is often found in old build
ings about which more or less superstition
is apt TO cling. The tapping noise 1t makes
Is supposed to resemble the tolling of bells.
The longicorn beetle produces a sharp
sound by the friction of the scaly covering
about it's neck
All these insects are provided with musi-
cal arrangements that more or less resem-
BILE fiddles In fact, the fddles of man. no
doubt. were first suggested by these little
pedestrians of nature.