I l i
C I C A D A A T R A T A.
G R E A T B L A C K C H I N E S E F R O G -H O P P E R.
S P E C I F I C C H A R A C T E R .
Black; wings white, black a t the bafe; veins yellowiih brown.
T e t t i g o n i a A t r a t a : atra a lis albis ball n i g r i s : veins tellaceo. Fab. Ent. Syfi. 4 . 2 0 3 . 2 8 .
Though the obfervations that Sir G. Staunton has made on the natural produftion of China, in his late
publication, were neceiTarily very general, the fcience of infefts appears to have engaged his particular
attention; and on that account we muft lament, that untoward events, precluded him from obferving more
minutely, the peculiarities o f fome kind.s, and the economical purpofes o f others.
In the general hiftories o f unknown countries, (and we can fcarcely confider China in any other view)
the entomologift muft expeft to find his favourite fcience neglefted, or treated in a manner more likely to
excite curiofUy than reward enquiry. The work o f tliis learned writer is an exception to our remark;
though a few inaccuracies occur in it. We perufe the following account o f an unknown fpecies o f Cicada
with particular regret, becaufe, it withholds information interefting to the naturalift, and, from its air o f
novelty, is likely to promote an erroneous opinion concerning th at fingular tribe of infefts.
“ The low and fometimes marihy country, through which the river a pafles, is favourable to the pro.
duftion o f infefts; and many o f them were troublefome, fome principally by tlieir fting; and others by their
conftant flunning noife. The mufic emitted by a fpecies o f Cicada was not o f the vocal k in d ; but produced
by the motion o f two flaps or lamellx which cover the abdomen or belly o f the infeft. It is the fignal of
invitation from tlie male of that fpecies to allure the female, which latter is quite unprovided with thefe
organs of courtihip b.”
Again, when dcrcribing a town higher up the river, that author fays, " The fliops o f Hai-tien, in addition
to necelfaries, abounded in toys and trifles, calculated to amufe the rich and idle o f both fexes, even to
cages containing infefts, fuch as the mijy Cicada, and a large fpecies o f the Gryllus r."
The reader may imagine from the firft account, that the mufic o f every other fpecies o f Cicada is o f the
^ Chap. J. Vol. I I . odiavo. * Chap. 4. VoL a