Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1915-02-19

~ " npc- N1DfC CKHJJHOSp
eial set of yolun. TE hMtG5 SILL
tary muscles. tho RNMTMHIATF
result being the
loud, shrlll music for which the cIcada
Is famous.
Apart from the clcadas. The only
other notably sonorlnc insects are
found In the group which naturallsts
term the "leaplng orthoDtvra"-l. @.
me g~rasshoppers, crickets and their
allies. In these Instances the analogy
OF the drum must be discarded for
that OF the fiddle. Let us take frat
the grasshoppers. Everyone has lis.
tened to their chIrplng, and perhaps
some inqulring spirits have observed
that the sound Is always accompanied
by a kind of swaylng OF the insects
body, and an alternate movement OF It's
hind legs. But the full lnwardness OF
the matter a only be appreciated by
the aid of the microscope. On n GER
tain ridge on the inner side OF the
grasshopper's hind femur-the thigh
Of the great %leaplng leg-there Is n row
Of extremely modified hairs. This
ridge represents the bow OF the sound
producing apparatus. BY the move
ment OF the leg II Is rubbed to and
fro against q prominent nervure or
vein" OF the closed fore.wing; and
this lddllng process gives rise TO the
grasshopper's wellknown song
"strldulatlon."
Naturalists call the method "strldu'
%latlon." In the case OF the crlcl;ets II
is managed in q different way, viz. by
rubbing one wing over the other,
Each fore-wlng OF the male is fur.
nished with a vein which Is infinitely
ridged or nlelike on It's under side;
and this bow plays upon n vein on
the upper surface of the wing beneath
II. As the apparatus Is In duplicate
each wing having It's vein and bow
the Insect Is a~mbldextrous, so to
speak. In practice, however It Is
found that the right wing 70 generally,
though not always. uppermost. The
reverse Is true OF the long.horn, tree.
frequenting grasshoppers. Their soli
tary nlellke bow is found on the
underside of the left fore'wlng, which
Is always uppermost, In these in.
sects-and IN the crlckots to a lesser
extent-the overlapping fore-wings
form a kind OF r%esoundlng chamber
which lntensines the volume of each
note that the fiddler produces.
Time and Temperament
DR.. s. n. Scrdder, an eminent oh
server OF Insect life In America, has
EXPRESSED some Of the songs OF crlck'
cts and grasshoppers In musical nota
ton. lie has also recorded the curl.
GUS fact that there IL a distinct rela.
ton between the rapidity OF note pro
duction and the temperature. on
warm days. when the sun Is shining
brightly, these little musicians eddie
away with an their might, whereas In
dull and chilly weather their execution
rs slow aud mournful. Many crlckets,
however, remain silent until the
shades Of evening begin to fall, and
then begin loudly TO serenade their
la%dy-loyos, For this Is really the out.
come OF the whole matter. Only IN
rare instances do female insects pos
sess the rlft Of melodlous expression
As with the singing Of birds, 30 with
the drumming and Kidding OF insects,
each Is essentially the language OF
courtship Love makes the world 60
roundl Crickets have been observed
20 listen eaRerly-one might say. crit
icaily-to the performances Of their
wooers. as II anxious to get the full