Penny Caldwell, age 13, of Maggie, N.C., for her question:

WHY DO CRICKETS CHIRP AT NIGHT?

Only male crickets produce that pleasant chirping sound that is such an important part of a summer night's magic. The sound is made with the wings. The right wing folds over the cricket's back and nearly covers the left wing. Each wing has a file or thickening vein with crossridges and a scraper or hard, sharp edged portion. The scraper of either wing may be rubbed against the file of the other wing to produce the night song.

Why does the cricket chirp? It is part of the mating game. Both males and females have hearing organs located in their front legs just below the knee. And the girls love the music.

Most crickets lay their eggs in the soil in autumn. The eggs hatch the following spring, and a new generation of musical night insects is then ready to take over the concert chores.