338 The Natural History of Selborne 



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 remark- 

 able, 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 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 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 and 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 intruded 

 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 



