114 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



before the entrance to their abodes, ready to retreat in case 

 of necessity. 



They eat grass, seeds, and fruit, and with great industry 

 carry their provisions into their holes, that they may con- 

 sume them at their leisure. They are very fond of drink- 

 ing, but are extremely delicate about it, and will only 

 touch the water that adheres to leaves, literally as well as 

 poetically slaking their thirst with only the dew of leaves 

 and flowers. In their journeys they are very careful to 

 avoid water, and if a small stream or puddle happens to be 

 in their way they carry pebbles into it, or grass or small 

 pieces of wood, until they fill it up so that they can pass 

 over it without getting wet ; and this instinct teaches them 

 to do, because if they should wet their antennae they would 

 trouble them by sticking together. 



Crickets, when young and before they are provided with 

 wings, live peacefully together under stones, but as they 

 get their growth and wings they become great enemies to 

 each other. The females bite off the legs of the males, 

 and the males themselves are continually fighting with each 

 other. If they meet face to face, they butt one another like 

 rams ; and if they meet back to back, they kick like horses. 



This quarrelsome disposition of Field-crickets may be 

 made serviceable in getting rid of the House-crickets, for it 

 is only necessary to bring a few of the former into the 

 house, or rooms, which is infested with the latter, and war 

 will take place in the camp immediately. 



The youth of Germany, however, are extremely fond of 

 them, and there is scarcely a boy who has not several small 

 boxes made expressly for keeping his Crickets in. They 

 catch them by thrusting a long flexible stem of grass into 

 their holes and forcing them out, and so much delighted 

 are they with their music that they carry their boxes of 

 Crickets into their bedrooms at night, and are soothed to 

 sleep with their chirping lullaby. 



