[Chlorocelus tanana.]
Often through the woods a loud, sharp, resonant stridulation is heard,
sounding like the syllables "Ta, na, na," succeeding each other with
little intermission. It is produced by a species of wood cricket,
called by the natives after the sound it produces. The total length of
the body is two inches and a quarter when the wings are closed. The
insect has an inflated bladder-like shape, owing to the great convexity
of the thin, firm, parchmenty wing-cases; the little creature being of a
pale green colour. The instrument by which it produces its music is
contrived out of the ordinary nervures of the wing-case. In each
wing-case the under edge of the wing itself has a horny lobe. On one
wing this lobe has a sharp raised margin, on the other the strong
membrane which traverses it on the under side is crossed by a number of
fine and sharp furrows like those of a file. When the insect rapidly
moves its wings, the file of the one lobe is scraped sharply across the
horny margin of the other, thus producing the sounds; the parchmenty
wing-cases and the hollow drum-like space they enclose assisting to give
resonance to the tones. These notes are the call notes of the males,
inviting a mate to his burrow. [Bates.]