158 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. X. 



easily described. In old houses they swarm by 

 myriads, making every part filthy beyond descrip- 

 tion wherever they harbour, which in the daytime 

 is in dark corners, behind all sorts of clothes, in 

 trunks, boxes, and, in short, every place where they 

 can lie concealed. In old timber and deal houses, 

 when the family is retired at night to sleep, this in- 

 sect, among other disagreeable properties, has the 

 power of making a noise which very much resem- 

 bles a pretty smart knocking with the knuckle upon 

 the wainscoting. The gigantic cockroach which 

 is found in South America, is frequently known by 

 the name of the drummer. Three or four of these 

 noisy creatures will sometimes be impelled to an- 

 swer one another, and cause such a drumming 

 noise, that none but those who are very good 

 sleepers can rest for them. What is most disagree- 

 able, those who have not gauze curtains are some- 

 times attacked by them in their sleep. The sick 

 and dying have their extremities attacked, and the 

 ends of the toes and fingers of the dead are fre- 

 quently stripped both of the skin and flesh. 



Mouffet relates, that " I have heard from persons 

 of good credit that one of these cockroaches was 

 found and taken in the top of the roof of the church 

 at Peterborough, which was six times larger than 

 the common species, and which not only pierced the 

 skin of those who endeavoured to seize it, but bit 

 so deep as to draw blood in great quantity. It was 

 a thumb's length and breadth in size, and being con- 

 fined in a cavity of the wall, after two or three days 

 made its escape, no one knew how." It appears, 

 from this description, to have probably been the 

 one which we have just mentioned as from South 

 America. 



The female of the common cockroach lays one or 

 two singularly-formed capsules, of a long square 

 shape, half the size of the abdomen, with one side 

 rounded, and shelving down with the margin straight 



