HEARING IN INSECTS. 9^ 



which Mr. Stephens enumerates ten species found 

 in Britain, we know at least two species of a very 

 different genus (Atropos, Leach), also indigenous, 

 which produce the so much dreaded sound. 



Sir Thomas Browne considered the subject of the 

 death-watch of great importance, and remarks that 

 the man " who could eradicate this error from the 

 minds of the people, would save from many a cold 

 sweat the meticulous heads of nurses and grand- 

 mothers *," as such persons are firm in the belief, 

 that— 



The solemn death-watch clicks the hour of death. 

 Swift endeavoured to perform this useful task by 

 means of ridicule. His description, suggested, it 

 would appear, by the old song of " A cobbler there 

 was, and he lived in a stall," runs thus : — 



" A wood worm 



That lies in old wood, like a hare in her form, 



With teeth or with claws, it will bite, it will scratch; 



And chambermaids christen this worm a death-watch ; 



Because, like a watch, it always cries click. 



Then woe be to those in the house that are sick ! 



For, sure as a gun, they will give up the ghost. 



If the maggot cries click when it scratches the post. 



But a kettle of scalding hot water injected, 



Infallibly cures the timber affected : 



The omen is broken, the danger is over, 



The maggot will die, and the sick will recover f." 



It may be well to give a few notices from natural- 

 ists who have observed the proceedings of those 

 insects. " I possess," says Swammerdam, " a small 

 beetle, which, having firmly and strongly fixed its 

 foremost legs, and bent and put its head through 

 the space between them, makes a continual noise in 



* Vulgar Errors, 

 t Quoted in Kirby and Spence, Iiitr, ii. 386. 



K 2 



