240 THE NATURAL HISTORY [LETT. 



as to be rendered, for a time, neither fit for the plough nor safe 

 for pasturage, till considerable labour and expense had been 

 bestowed in levelling the surface and filling in the gaping 

 fissures. 



SELBORNK. 



LETTER LXXXVIII. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES SARRINGTON. 



resonant arbusta ." 



(ViRO. Ed. ii. 13.) 



" 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 Grylhis 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 often gone down to examine the 

 economy of these yrylli, 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 could 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 



