What a powerful sound results! The Decticus, endowed with only one indifferent "mirror," can be heard only at a few paces; the Cricket, the possessor of four vibratory areas, can be heard at a hundred yards.
The Cricket rivals the Cigale in loudness, but his note has not the displeasing, raucous quality of the latter.

Better still: he has the gift of expression, for he can sing loud or soft.

The wing-covers, as we have seen, are prolonged in a deep fold over each flank.

These folds are the dampers, which, as they are pressed downwards or slightly raised, modify the intensity of the sound, and according to the extent of their contact with the soft abdomen now muffle the song to a _mezza voce_ and now let it sound _fortissimo_.
Peace reigns in the cage until the warlike instinct of the mating period breaks out.

These duels between rivals are frequent and lively, but not very serious.