OF SELBORNE. 231 



parts, is by no moans a common insect in many other 

 counties. 



As their cheerful summer cry cannot but draw the attention 

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

 oeconomy 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 back- 

 ward 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 

 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 grashoppers ; 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 provided 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 



