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tough skin. By this accident we learned to distinguish the 

 male from the female ; the former of which is shining black, 

 with a golden stripe across his shoulders ; the latter is more 

 dusky, more capacious about the abdomen, and carries a 

 long sword-shaped weapon at her tail, which probably is 

 the instrument with which she deposits her eggs in crannies 

 and safe receptacles. 



Where violent methods will not avail, more gentle 

 means will often succeed ; and so it proved in the present 

 case; for, though a spade be too boisterous and rough an 

 implement, a pliant stalk of grass, gently insinuated into 

 the caverns, will probe their windings to the bottom, and 

 quickly bring out the inhabitant ; and thus the humane 

 inquirer may gratify his curiosity without injuring the 

 object of it. It is remarkable that, though these insects 

 are furnished with long legs behind, and brawny thighs for 

 leaping, like grasshoppers ; yet when driven from their 

 holes they show no activity, but crawl along in a shiftless 

 manner, so as easily to be taken : and again, though pro- 

 vided with a curious apparatus of wings, yet they never 

 exert them when there seems to be the greatest occasion. 

 The males only make that shrilling noise perhaps out of 

 rivalry and emulation, as is the case with many animals 

 which exert some sprightly note during their breeding 

 time : it is raised by a brisk friction of one wing against 

 the other. They are solitary beings, living singly male or 

 female, each as it may happen ; but there must be a time 

 when the sexes have some intercourse, and then the wings 

 may be useful perhaps during the hours of night. When 

 the males meet they will fight fiercely, as I found by some 

 which I put into the crevices of a dry stone wall, where I 

 should have been glad to have made them settle. For 

 though they seemed distressed by being taken out of their 

 knowledge, yet the first that got possession of the chinks 

 would seize on any that were obtruded upon them with a 

 vast row of serrated fangs. With their strong jaws, toothed 

 like the shears of a lobster's claws, they perforate and round 

 their curious regular cells, having no fore-claws to dig, like 

 the mole-cricket. When taken in hand I could not but 



