Chinese children are very fond of playing with insects. In summer boys may be seen going round with long bamboo sticks with some sticky substance at the tips, by means of which they catch cicadas. These they tie with a thread round the thorax and whirl about to make them flutter their wings and emit the harsh screeching noise for which they are famous. This may be very amusing to the boys, but not much fun for the cicada. Everywhere in China there is a stupid looking long-headed grasshopper, which the children of Shansi Province catch and hold by ihe. long hind legs. It then bobs backwards and forwards in a most ludicrous manner. The children accompany {he absurd motions of the shopper with a little rhyme.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.