Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-09-19
MUSICAL INSECTS.
Some of Them Are Not Unlike Fid.
 dlers,

A poet, having once occasion to speak about crickets and grasshop- pers, very happily termed them "vio- linists of the fields," and although at the time he was ignorant of the fact, he stated nothing more than a scien- tific truth which has recently been demonstrated by exhaustive investi- gations. Hitherto naturalists have been devoting little too much time to the study of actual sounds emitted by insects, rather. than the methods by which the musical notes in ques- tion were really produced. It is now we'll known that the throat of insects has nothing to do with the produc- tion of such sounds. but that, on the contrary, they all use kind of 'in- strument' with which Mother Nat ure has endowed them for the pur- pose. Microscopic examination has revealed the fact that in most cases this instrument has d striking resem- blance to rudimentary violin, at least as regards its principle.
 Musical insects of the winged type may be divided into two groups: q Those which do not use their wings, and t2) those which do,, for the pro- duction of sounds. Of the two, the latter species is by far the more nu- merous. A very curious fact in this connection is that all insects are tenors, deep bass voices being quite unknown; in addition to this, the males are always the performers, fe- male insects being dumb-contenting themselves with stopping at home and looking after the children, in- stead of standing at the front door like their lords and masters. Many insects sing by day. such. for instance, as the chickadee, which however, are not of the "violinist" type, as they play upon a series of hard plates attached to the abdomen much in the same way as a Spanish dancer uses the castanets. Another insect of this type is the black field cricket. which has Its home in a small cave-like dwelling it prepares in the earth.
 Other insects sing by night only, such, for instance, as the domestic and tree crickets, whose regular mod ulated notes are known to every one. The apparatus used by these insects exactly resembles violin, the ab- domen being partly endowed with small bridge-like edges or ridges against which the wings are rubbed, thus producing the strident note characteristic 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 fine membrane which serve the of flee of resonators: in almost all in- sects of this type there is a parch- ment-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 hear ing: crickets. however. are an ex- ception. as they have sharp ears and cease their vocal efforts at the sound of approaching footsteps. Some in- sects. although apparently deprived of any means for production of sounds. are none the less capable of making a noise in the world. A not able instance of this is to be found in a locust rejoicing in the eupho- nious name of Microcentrum tetiner- wis. which produces a short monoton- ous not like two pieces of metal or flint rubbed together.
 So far the field of insect voices has not been widely explored. It would be interesting to study them from the point of view of musical notation, and also to determine whether their song alters in any way according to season, hour of the day. age of the insect. and meteorological conditions.
 The proper study of mankind Is man. we are told, yet me thinks 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.