16 



He had now to propose au alteration in the day fur their next field naeeting, 

 when it was intended to visit the celebrated Crumlin Viaduct and PontypooL 

 The day fixed waa Thursday, June 18th, but the President wouM be unavoidably 

 prevented from attending on this day, and he had to propose therefore that it 

 be fixed for the next day, Friday, June 19th. The Cardiff Naturalist's Field 

 Club were coming to meet us on that occasion, and it was very desirable that 

 our President should be with us. After some discussion this was agreed to. Dr. 

 Bull then said he had the pleasure to show them a living specimen of the 



MOLE CRICKET, OR GRYLLOTALPA VULGARIS. 



This creature is by far the most curious of all the British Orthopterous 

 insects. It was captured by Mr. Saunders, when running on the shingle by the 

 river Wye, near the Hole in the Wall, in the parish of How Caple. Mr. Saunders 

 at first sight thought it was a mouse running along, and he had some little 

 difficulty in taking it. He has kindly sent it here with the hope of obtaining 

 Bome information about it. 



This very singular insect is, as you see, of a dark mouse or mole colour, 

 about two inches long. Its great peculiarity is the strength of its chest and the 

 shape of its fore feet, the latter very closely resemble the fore feet of the mole, 

 and not only in shape but also in the oblique way in which they set on. Again, 

 the hard and pointed chest and head, and the small protected eyes, give the 

 creature a mole-like appearance. The Mole Cricket burrows under ground like 

 the mole, and throws up ridges as it proceeds, but not hillocks. It frequents 

 the banks of streams, or ponds or moist meadows, and lives on roots and 

 vegetables. It is a terrible pest in a kitchen garden when a colony takes up its 

 abode there, for it quickly destroys whole beds of peas, cabbages, flowers, or 

 potatoes, since nothing green and juicy seems to come amiss to it. 



The Mole Cricket forms her nest of a cell about the size of a small hen's 

 egg, and deposits about 150 eggs in it. It is closed on every side to protect it 

 from a certain voracious black beetle ever on the look out for such delicacies. 

 " Nothing can exceed the care and assiduity of the Mole Cricket," says a writer, 

 " in the preservation of her young. Wl^erever a nest is situated, fortifications, 

 avenues, and entrenchments surround it. There are also numerous winding bye 

 ways which lead to it, and a ditch encompasses the whole, which few insects 

 are capable of passing." She keeps always on guard herself, and when the 

 marauding beetle enters the circumvallations, down she pounces on it and 

 quickly kills it. 



The Mole Cricket is a night wanderer, and is then very active. "At night," 

 says White, "it makes long excursions as I have been convinced by finding 

 stragglers in the morning in improbable places." When dug out during the day 

 it is slow and helpless, never attempting to use its wings. The love song of the 

 Mole Cricket may be heard on fine nights from the middle of April to the middle 



