The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26

K MONSIEUR Cicada. vulgary and in-
 MI correctly called the locut, and
 l V 1 scientifically designated as tibecon
 tredecim, is about to descend upon the
 state of Alabama, and indeed, If the
 government experts are correct, the van
 guard of the host should be coming In
 at this time By the middle of June
 they should be as plentiful as the sands
 of the sea.
 Nearly the whole state will be treated
 to an introduction to the creature and
 the people of Montgomery Birmingham
 and Mobile will have special opportunity
 to study the visitor at close range. Other
 bordering states will likewise act as host
 to the cicada, with the exception of Flor
 ida but by far the biggest bunch' of
 this years crop will devote its atten-
 ton to Missouri and Illinois. The list of Alabama counties to be vis-
 tied, according to Acting Chief Maratt
 of the United States bureau of ento-
 mology, is as follows: Autauga, Blount Bullock, Cherokee, Colbert Cullman, Dal-
 las. DeKalb, Fillmore, Etowah, Franklin,
 Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauder
 dale, Lownes, Macon Marengo, Mobile,
 Montgomery, Perry, Randolph, Russell St. Clair.
 It will be seen, therefore. that not
 very great part of the state will be
 skipped by the cicada. This particular tribe Is of the thirteen year species and
 Is officially known as Brood XIX. There
 are several colonies of the creatures and they do not always come at the same
 time, for which fact humanity should lift it's voices in loud paeans of thanksgiving. The cicada is opposed to race suicide He is a great family fellow and makes
 1t a point to bring all the children along when he pays his periodical visit to man. The fathers of the present brood were
 here in 1894. The grandfathers were with us in 1881, and the great-grandfathers
 were in our midst in 1868, in which same
 year they were accompanied by the sev-
 enteen year locusts, and together they made a record in numbers, giving what
 was undoubtedly the greatest show on earth from the clcada standpoint It Is gratifying to note that the scientists have discovered that there will not be another simultaneous appearance of these two immense broods until the year POSI-
 by which time most of us will be accus- toned to the creatures This years brood
 however, Is the biggest of all the thr- teen year cicadas It Is not quite as
 large as the enormous 17-year brood that
 came like a wolf the fold in the east
 ern states in 1902
 The cidada differs from the locust, with whose name it has been so commonly con
 fused, in many material respects. For in-
 stance, the locust is biting animal, while
 the cicada is a natural born sucker, feast ing upon juices which it draws into it's system through a tube-like arrangement We are told that the ancient Creeks used to catch the cicadas and hang them 1 in cages much as we do canary birds for the enjoyment of their music. When they got too old or too lazy to sing the Grecian butcher was called in and the fes- tive cicada was slaughtered for the next days dinner.
 Aristotle ate this dish and expressed the opinion that the pupae was the most pal atable He said the adult males were next In order to toothsomeness, while the females were passable for food only as 1 last resort.
 | Concerning another distinction between 1 the gentleman and lady cicada another l Greek philosopher, MT. Xnarches, made the rather unkind remark, Happy is he
 male cicada, since his wife has no voice He referred, of course, to the fact that l the male alone is responsible for the
 singing of the family This singing" l by the way, Is not the product of the 1 cicada's vocal organs, but the sound Is
 made by the violent vibration of drum l like arrangement located beneath and
 near the base of the wings of the male.
 Turning from ancient Greeks to modern 1 Americans it can be said that variety of
 interesting facts have ben learned in re- 1 cent years or IlllS creature fOT lHSldHct, 1 it was learned upon the last occasion Of l the visit of this big brood that no one 1 could walk through parks, streets, lanes | or alleys without crushing dozens of them | underfoot. Wherever there were trees or | smaller vegetation a hurrying, crawling
 mass swept this way and that and limbs, boughs and leaves were literally alive l with countless thousands who cheered the
 weary traveller on his way with cease l less song.
 They invaded every house in the com
 munities they visited. They invaded every 1 business establishment. They insinuated
 themselves into kitchens and dining rooms and crawled over the plate or the diner with the same impunity with which they strolled over his prostrate form while h. 1 slept.
 1 In the suburban and country districts l they were likewise no respectors of per
 sons The lady of the house had added
 to her daily duties the task of carrying out bagful or boxful of cicadas every | morning.
 l Farmers met with the pests wherever | he turned. One old fellow in Missouri saw 1 so many of the things that he got so he
 could see nothing else. One day he mis- | took his prize porker for a cicada and | swfped the unsuspeeting hog over the l pate with gate post.
 | suggestion that the creatures wore l good to eat. probably made by some stu l dent of the affairs of ancient Greece, TO- l suits in various attempts being made in l the eastern states in 1902 to utilize tho l cicada as a foodstun. man in Della | ware proposed to establish 6 oannery | After gathering an immense collection | of the bugs and when he had everything | in readiness to begin business he found l that the whole tribe had orawled under the fence into the backyard of his neigh bor. who waz generously inoeulating them