THE DEATH WATCH. 127 



The Death Watch. — Ptinus Fatidicus. 



This celebrated insect is distinguished by 

 the title of Death Watch, or Ptinus Fati- 

 dicus. Among the popular superstitions, 

 the di-ead of the Death Watch is still 

 predominant, and continues to disturb the 

 habitations of rural tranquillity with ground- 

 less fears, and absurd apprehensions. It is 

 not indeed to be imagined, that they who 

 are engaged in the more important cares of 

 providing the immediate necessaries of life, 

 should have either leisure or inclination to 

 investigate with philosophic exactness the 

 cause of a particular sound ; yet it must be 

 allowed to be a very singular circumstance, 

 that an animal so common should not be 

 more universally known, and the peculiar 

 noise which it makes be more universally 

 understood. It is chiefly in the advanced 

 state of spring, that this alarming little 

 animal commences its sound, which is no 

 other than the call or signal by which the 

 male and female are led to each other, and 

 which may be considered as analogous to the 



