Page:Insect Literature by Lafcadio Hearn.djvu/388

Almost every night of the year there are en-nichi in some quarter of the capital; and the insect-sellers are rarely idle during the summer and autumn months.

 

Perhaps the following list of current Tōkyō prices^[1] for singing-insects may interest the reader:—

Suzumushi		3	sen	5 rin, to	4	sen.
Matsumushi		4	sen„	•••••••••	5	sen„
Kantan		10	sen„	•••••••••	12	sen„
Kin-hibari		10	sen„	•••••••••	12	sen„
Kusa-hibari		10	sen„	•••••••••	12	sen„
Kuro-hibari		8	sen„	•••••••••	12	sen„
Kutsuwamushi		10	sen„	•••••••••	15	sen„
Yamato-suzu		8	sen„	•••••••••	12	sen„
Kirigirisu		12	sen„	•••••••••	15	sen„
Emma-kōrogi		5	sen„
Kanetataki		12	sen„
Umaoi		10	sen„

These prices, however, rule^[2] only during the busy period of the insect trade. In May and the latter part of June the prices are high,—for only artificially bred insects are then in the market. In July kirigirisu brought from the country will sell^[3] as low as one sen. The kantan, kusa-hibari, and Yamato-suzu sell sometimes as low as two sen. In August the Emma-kōrogi can be bought even at the rate of ten for one sen; and in September the kuro-hibari, kane-

註

1. この値段は譯者が 1897 年に調查せしもの。現今は大に異るものあらん。
2. to rule 市價を有つ、標準價を維持する。
3. will sell はその後の sell と同樣 passive use なり。