Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-25
INSECTS AND MUSIC
CRICKETS AND GRASSHOPPERS
vIoLINIsTs OF THE FIELDS.
ALI the Little Creatures That Make
Song With Legs and Wings
Are Tenors
From the Scientific American.

From the Scientific American.
A poet, having once occas' on to speak
about cr5ckets and grasshoppers, very hap
PLY termed them .'viollnlsts of the fie.Ss'
and, although at the time he was ignorant
of the fact, he stated nothing more than a
scientific truth which has recently been
demonstrated by exhaustive Investigations
Hitherto naturalists have been devoting
little too much time 10 the study OF ac-
tual sounds emitted by insects, rather than
the methods by which the musical notes
In question were really produced II is
now well known that the throat OF insects
has nothing to do with the production OF
such sounds, but that. on the contrary
they all use a kind of Instrument" with
which Mother Nature has endowed them
for the purpose. Microscopic examination
has revealed the fact that IN most cases
this instrument has a striking resemblance
20 a rudtmentary violin. at least as regards
It's principle.
Musical insects of tho vineed tyne may
be divided into two groups: a. Those
which do not use their wings, and % those
wh-ch DO. for the production of sounds.
VI the TWO the latter species is by far the
more numerous. A very curious fact IN
this connection is that all insects are ten
ors, deep bass voices being quite unknown.
IN aumtlon TO this. the males always
the performers, female insects being dumb
-contenting themselves with stopD ng ar
home and looking after the children. in
STEAD or standing at the front door sing
Ing like their lords and masters Many in
sects sing by day, such, for instance az
the chfckadee, which however are not of
the 'yfolinist' type. as they play upon a.
series OF hard plates attached to the abdo-
men, much in the same way as a Spanish
dancer uses the castanets. Another insect
Oh this type is the black field CT cket
which has its home in a small c-ave-like
dwelling 1t prepares in the earth.
Nocturnes.
Other insects only sing by night. such,
for instance, as the domestic and tree
crickets, whose regular modulated notes
are known to every one The apparatus
USED by these insects exactly resembles
violin. the abdomen being partially en-
oowed with small bridse-like edges or
ridges against which the wings are rubbed
mus producing the strident note character
istc of the insect. Other insects such as
locusts and their kin. have veritable bows
covered with fine ridges and attached to
the wings by two button-like growths
others have cavities covered over with a
fine membrane which serve the office of
resonators; In almost all insects OF this
type there is a parchment-like part of the
abdomen which acts as a kind OF sounding
board Strange to say. many Of these har-
monious insects are deprived of hearing:
crickets. however, are an exception as they
nave sharp ears and cease their vocal ef-
forts at the sound of approaching foot
steps. Some insects. although apparently
deprived of any means for the production
of sounds, are none the less capable OF
making noise IN the world. A notable
instance of this is to be found in a locust
rejoicing in the euphonious name of Micro
centrum tetinervis, which produces a short,
monotonous note like two pieces OF metal
or flint rubbed together.
Musical Notation.
So far the field of insect voices has not
been widely explored. 1t would be interest
ing to study them from the point of view
of musical notation, and also to determine
whether their song alters in any way ac-
cording to season. hour of the day. age CT
the insect and meteorological conditions.
Now is the time for those who are in.
| terested in this still UNEMPLOYED field to kee,
| ears and eyes open. for does not the cricket
sing in the fields in the genial summer
months? The proper study OF mankind Is
man, we are told, yet methnks time would
often be better employed in studying some
| of the members OF the humber walks Of
| life upon which the Creator has showered
| just as much love and attention, In many
cases TO better purpose and a truer at
| oneness with Nature than can be found
| in man