The Noisy Cicada
The cicada is a noisy insect. It produces ticks, buzzes and whines by means of a system in its body. There is a pair of membranous organs at the base of the insect's abdomen. The cicada produces that well-known sound by vibrating these drum-like membranes. When these membranes are pulled and released by the muscles to which they are attached, a sound similar to that of an empty tin is produced. The insect repeats this pull-and-release process 500 times a second. Considering that you can only close and reopen your eyes once in a second, you can readily see how difficult it is to perform this task 500 times a second.
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With the opening and closing of the extended part that exists on the lower part of the insect's thorax, the sound level may be increased or decreased. The human ear cannot perceive these openings and closings, which occur in a tenth of a second, so we do not notice that the sound is interrupted and we think that the buzzing song of the cicada is continuous.
- Introduction
- Blind Termites Building Skyscrapers
- Security Measures of Animals
- The Compass in the Ant's Eye
- The Marvelous Co-Operation of the Ant and the Bird
- Little Engineering Birds
- The Heating System of the Winter Moth
- How Do Salmon Find Their Way?
- How Do Fish Live in Water?
- How Do Macaws Know Chemistry?
- Engineering in the Cobweb
- An Interesting Creature: The Nautilus
- The Male Catfish on Duty
- Butterflies That Have a Knowledge of Physics
- Did You Know about Luminescent Creatures?
- Luminescent Underwater Creatures
- The Sleeping Bag of the Parrotfish
- The Skillful Camouflage of the Scorpion Fish
- Interesting Features of Sea Horses
- Dragonflies: Flight Machines
- Secret Shelters in the Seas: Corals
- Life in the Desert
- The Special Cooling System of Gazelles
- The Strength of Woodpeckers
- Cute Squirrels with Big Cheeks
- The Bird with the Longest Wings in the World: the Albatross
- Adornment Artists: Bowerbirds
- Birds Which Lay Foundations for Their Young
- The Powerful Memory of Jays
- The Armored Tanks of the Animal Kingdom
- Migratory Birds That can Fly Even in the Dark of the Night
- Cleaning Workers of the Seas
- The Noisy Cicada
- Cleaner Birds
- Pond Skaters That Walk on Water
- Tenacious Suckerfish
- Walking Fish with Red Lips
- Colorful Herons
- Parakeets That can Survive A Month Without Water
- The Structure of Birds' Feathers
- Birds' Techniques for Gliding
- The Water Bird That Cuts Through the Water Like Scissors
- Cuttlefish Like Jet Engines
- Greylag Geese
- A Matchless Security System
- Conclusion