282 NATURAL HISTORY 
of a flea to that of their full stature. As one 
should suppose, from the burning atmosphere which 
they inhabit, they are a thirsty race, and show a 
great propensity for liquids, being found frequently 
drowned in pans of water, milk, broth, or the like. 
Whatever is moist they affect; and, therefore, 
often gnaw holes in wet woollen stockings and 
aprons that are hung to the fire; they are the 
housewife’s barometer, foretelling her when it will 
rain; and are prognostics sometimes, she thinks, 
of ill or good luck ; of the death of a near relation, 
or the approach of an absent lover. By being the 
constant companions of her solitary hours, they 
naturally become the objects of her superstition. 
These crickets are not only very thirsty, but very 
voracious ; for they will eat the scummings of pots, 
and yeast, salt, and crumbs of bread, and any 
kitchen offal or sweepings. In the summer we 
have observed them to fly, when it became dusk, 
out of the windows and over the neighbouring 
roofs. This feat of activity accounts for the sud- 
den manner in which they often leave their haunts, 
as it does for the method by which they come to 
houses where they were not known before. It is 
remarkable that many sorts of insects seem never 
to use their wings but when they have a mind to 
shift their quarters and settle new colonies. When 
in the air they move volatu undoso, in waves or 
curves, like woodpeckers, opening and shutting 
their wings at every stroke, and so are always ri- 
sing or sinking. 
When they increase to a great degree, as they 
did once in the house where I am now writing, 
they become noisome fests, flying into the candles 
