e rambles along in
the twilight of a summer night! The lively chirping of the cricket, too,
has inspired more than one poet, and the great novelist, Charles
Dickens, used it in a well-known story.

[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Above, leg of American Grasshopper, magnified;
musical instrument at T. Below, musical instrument of American
Grasshopper, greatly magnified.]

The simplest means of making a noise is that used by the beetle known by
the grim name of the 'death-watch.' In our own houses this little beetle
often causes great alarm by the ticking or tapping sound which it makes
by striking its head against the wall. Ignorant people look upon this
noise as a warning of approaching death; but, really, it is meant to
charm and attract any other beetles of the kind which may be within
hearing!

[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Cicada, as in life.]

[Illustration: Fig. 3.--Cicada, showing "drums" (marked D), magnified.]

But many insects, like the crickets and grasshoppers, have a specially
constructed instrument on which they play. Fig. 1 shows a part of the
instrument used by an American grasshopper. It is formed by a row of
tiny teeth, marked T, placed along the inner side of the thigh of the
great leaping leg. When this creature feels very happy, or wants to
charm his mate, he produces a shrill sound by rubbing these teeth across
the hard 'nervures,' or wing 'veins.' What these teeth are really like
can be seen in the lower part of the illustration, which shows eight
little spear-heads set in sockets. These are 'teeth,' which act much as
a comb would do if drawn lightly over a tightly stretched wire.

[Illustration: Fig. 4.--Scorpion, in act of "playing."]

The 'stridulation,' as this form of musical production is called, in
some locusts is so loud that it can be heard on a still night for a
distance of a mile. Some South American locusts are such wonderful
performers that the Indians keep them in wicker cages, in order that
they may enjoy the playing. There is a North American locust which is
quite famous as a musician. It is known as the Katydid, on account of
its peculiar notes, which resemble the words _Katy-did-she-did_. This
note is kept up throughout the night. Our field-cricket plays by rubbing
a row of teeth, about one hundred and thirty in number, placed on the
under side of one of the supporting rods, or 'veins,' of the wings,
against another rod very like it, but without teeth, in the upper
surface of the oppos