290 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



the midst of which Aunt Ilamiah'.s reproving voice was 

 heard : " Daniel, Daniel ! thee is too provoking with thy 

 childish superstitions. Thee has been taught better 

 than that by the good Friends who once sat by this 

 hearth-stone, and whose spirits are in a Better Home 

 or they would surely grieve over thy folly." 



"Well, Aunt Hannah,"' I said, interrupting the si- 

 lence which this remark had caused, "wemusn't be too 

 hard upon Dan. You know the proverb, ' It's hard to 

 teach an old dog new tricks.' At all events we are 

 much obliged to our little friend in the chimney corner 

 for this very remarkable and timely contribution to our 

 conversation. For my part I shall accept it as a good 

 omen, without endorsing Dan's peculiar notion as to 

 ' sperits.' " 



Aunt Hannah shook her head soberly ; but the Mis- 

 tress looked up with a happy and approving glance, 

 and I turned once more to our subject. 



"Crickets, are for the most part, nocturnal and soli- 

 tary insects. That is, they live alone, concealing them- 

 selves by day, and come from their retreats to seek their 

 food and their mates by night. They sit at the doors of 

 their caves and chirrup away for hours together. The 

 hearth-cricket belongs to this class. Our common 

 species are the short-winged Gryllus {Gr)jlhis ahbreviattis 

 Serville), which is about three.-quarters of an inch long, 

 of a black color, with a IjroAvnish tinge at the base of 

 the wing-cover, which is sometimes wanting in the male ; 

 the Black Cricket, or Pennsylvania Gryllus (Grullus 

 Pcnnsylranicus Burmeistcr), which is quite black, and 



