32 HISTORY OF 



be supposed. The shield of the breast is of a firm 

 texture, of a blackish colour, and hairy. The 

 fore-feet, which are this animal's principal instru- 

 ments of burrowing into the earth, are strong, 

 webbed, and hairy ; it generally, however, runs 

 backward ; but it is commonly under ground, 

 where it burrows even faster than a mole. It is 

 thought also to be amphibious, and capable of 

 living under water as well as under ground. 



Of all insects this is the most detested by gar- 

 deners, as it chiefly resides in that ground which 

 lies light, and where it finds sufficient plenty un- 

 der the surface* Thus, in a single night's time, 

 it will run along a furrow which has been newly 

 sown, and rob it of all its contents. Its legs are 

 formed in such a manner that it can penetrate the 

 earth in every direction, before, behind, and 

 above it. At night it ventures from its under- 

 ground habitation, and, like the cricket, has its 

 chirping call. When the female is fecundated, 

 she makes a cell of clammy earth, the inside of 

 which is large enough to hold two hazel nuts, and 

 in this she lays her eggs. The whole nest is about 

 the size of a common hen's egg, closed up on 

 every side, and well defended frofn the smallest 

 breath of air. The eggs generally amount to the 

 number of a hundred and fifty, being white, and 

 about the size of a carraway comfit. They are 

 thus carefully covered, as well to defend them 

 from the injuries of the weather, as from the 

 attacks of the black beetle ; that being itself an 

 underground inhabitant, would, but for this pre- 

 caution, devour or destroy them. To prevent 



