These tongues may be compared to the blade of a watchman's rattle, only instead of engaging with the teeth of a rotating wheel they touch the nervures of the vibrating cymbal.

From this fact, I imagine, results the harsh, grating quality of the cry.

It is hardly possible to verify the fact by holding the insect in the fingers; the terrified _Cacan_ does not go on singing his usual song.
The dampers do not overlap; on the contrary, they are separated by a fairly wide interval.

With the rigid tongues, appendages of the abdomen, they half shelter the cymbals, half of which is completely bare.

Under the pressure of the finger the abdomen opens a little at its articulation with the thorax.