FIELD-CRICKETS. 253 



LETTEB LXXXVIII. 



TO THE SAME. 



SELBORNE. 

 " Resonant arbusta." 



The groves resound. 



THERE is a steep abrupt pasture field, interspersed with 

 furze, close to the back of this village, well known by the 

 name of the Short Lithe, consisting of a rocky dry soil, and 

 inclining to the afternoon sun. This spot abounds with the 

 gryllus campestris, or field-cricket ;* which, though frequent 

 in these parts, is by no means a common insect in many 

 other counties. 



As their cheerful summer cry cannot but draw the atten- 

 tion of a naturalist, I have gone down to examine the 

 economy of these grylli, and study their mode of life ; but 

 they are so shy and cautious that it is no easy matter to get 

 a sight of them ; for, feeling a person's footsteps as he 

 advances, they stop short in the midst of their song, and 

 retire backward nimbly into their burrows, where they lurk 

 till all suspicion of danger is over. 



At first we attempted to dig them out with a spade, but 

 without any great success ; for either we ccMild not get to 

 the bottom of the hole, which often terminated under a great 

 stone ; or else in breaking up the ground, we inadvertently 

 squeezed the poor insect to death. Out of one so bruised, 

 we took a multitude of eggs, which were long and narrow, 

 of a yellow colour, and covered with a very 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 ;t the latter is more dusky, 

 more capacious about the abdomen, and carries a long 

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



* Acheta, campestris. FABRICIUS. 

 "f* " The vaulting grasshopper of glossy green." 



