482 



HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



The cricket very much resembles the grass- 

 hopper in its shape, its manner of ruminating, j 

 its voice, its leaping, and methods of propaga- 

 tion. It differs in its colour, which is uni- 

 formly of a rusty brown ; in its food, which is 

 more various ; and in its place of residence, 

 which is most usually in the warmest chinks 

 behind a country hearth. They are in some 

 measure obliged to the bad masonry employed 

 in making peasants' houses for their retreats. 

 The smallest chink serves to give them shel- 

 ter ; and where they once make their abode 

 they are sure to propagate. They are of a 

 most chilly nature, seldom leaving the fire- 

 side : and, if undisturbed, are seen to hop 

 from their retreats to chirrup at the blaze 

 in the chimney. The wood-cricket is the 

 most timorous animal in nature ; but the 

 chimney-cricket, being used to noises, disre- 

 gards not only those, but the appearance of 

 people near it. Whether the voice of this 

 animal is formed in the same manner with 

 that of the grasshopper, by a fine membrane 

 at the base of the wings, which is moved by a 

 muscle, and which being coiled up, gives a 

 sound like a quail-pipe, is not yet ascertained; 

 nor do we well know the use of this voice, 



to that of their full stature. As one should suppose, from 

 the burning atmosphere which they inhabit, they are a 

 thirsty race, and show a great propensity for liquids, be- 

 ing found frequently drowned in pans of water, milk, 

 broth, or the like. Whatever is moist they affect ; and, 

 therefore, often gnaw holes in wet woollen stockings and 

 aprons that are hung to the fire ; they are the house- 

 wife's barometer, foretelling her when it will rain ; and are 

 prognostics sometimes, she thinks, of ill or good luck ; of 

 the death of a near relation, or the approach of an absent 

 lover. By being the constant companions of her solitary 

 hours, they naturally become the objects of her supersti- 

 tion. These crickets are not only very thirsty, but very 

 voracious; for they will eat the scummings of pots, and yeast, 

 salt, crumbs of bread, and any kitchen offal or sweepings. 

 In the summer we have observed them to fly, when it be- 

 came dusk, out of the windows, and over the neighbour- 

 ing roofs. This feat of activity accounts for the sudden 

 manner in which they often leave their haunts, as it 

 does for the method by which they come to houses where 

 they were not known before. It is remarkable, that 

 many sorts of insects seem never to use their wings but 

 when they have a mind to shift their quarters and settle 

 new colonies. When in the air, they move volatu un- 

 doso, in waves, or curves, like woodpeckers, opening and 

 shutting their wings at every stroke, and so are always 

 rising or sinking. 



When they increase to a great degree, as they did once 

 in the house where I am now writing, they become noi- 

 some pests, flying into the candles, and dashing into 

 people's faces ; but may be blasted and destroyed by 

 gunpowder discharged into their crevices and crannies. 

 In families, at such times, they are, like Pharaoh's 

 plague of frogs, " in their bed-chambers, and upon their 

 beds, and in their ovens, and in their kneading-troughs." 

 Their shrilling noise is occasioned by a brisk attrition of 

 their wings. Cats catch hearth -crickets, and, playing 

 with them as they do with mice, devour them. Crick- 

 ets may be destroyed, like wasps, by phials half filled 

 with beer, or any liquid, set in their haunts ; for, being 

 always eager to drink, they will crowd in till the bottles 

 .ere full. Natural History of Selborne. 



since anatomical inspection has not yet been 

 able to discover the smallest organs of hear- 

 ing. Still, however, we can make no doubt 

 of their power of distinguishing sounds, though 

 probably not in the same manner with the 

 more perfect ranks of nature. Certain it is, 

 that I have often heard them call, and this 

 call was as regularly answered by another, al- 

 though none but the males are vocal. 



As the cricket lives chiefly in the dark, so 

 its eyes seem formed for the gloominess of its 

 abode ; and those who would surprise it, have 

 only to light a candle unexpectedly ; by 

 which it is dazzled, and cannot find the way 

 back to its retreat. It is a very voracious 

 little animal, and will eat bread, flour, and 

 meat ; but it is particularly fond of sugar. 

 They never drink, but keep for months toge- 

 ther at the back of the chimney, where they 

 could possibly have had no moisture. The 

 warmth of their situation only serves to in- 

 crease their mirth and loquacity. Except in 

 the very coldest weather, they never cease 

 their chirruping, but continue that little pier- 

 cing note, which is as pleasing to some as it 

 is disagreeable to others. The great Scaliger 

 was particularly delighted with the chirruping 

 of crickets, and kept several of them for his 

 amusement, enclosed in a box, which he placed 

 in a warm situation. Others, on the contrary, 

 think there is something ominous and melan- 

 choly in the sound, and use every endeavour 

 to banish this insect from their houses. Le- 

 delius tells us of a woman who was very much 

 incommoded by crickets, and tried, but in vain, 

 every method of banishing them from her 

 house. She at last accidentally succeeded ; 

 for having one day invited several guests to 

 her house, where there was a wedding, in or- 

 der to increase the festivity of the entertain- 

 ment, she procured drums and trumpets to 

 entertain them. The noise of these was so 

 much greater than what the little animals were 

 used to, that they instantly forsook their situ- 

 ation, and were never heard in that mansion 

 more. 



But of all the cricket kind, that which is 

 called the Mole Cricket is the most extraordi- 

 nary. This animal is the largest of all the 

 insects with which we are acquainted in this 

 country, being two inches and a half in length, 

 and three quarters of an inch in breadth. The 

 colour is of a dusky brown ; and at the extre- 

 mity of the tail there are two hairy excrescen- 

 ces, resembling, in some sense, the tail of a 

 mouse. The body consists of eight scaly joints, 

 or separate folds; is brown on the upper part, 

 and more deeply tinged below. The wings 

 are long, narrow, and terminate in a sharp 

 point, each having a blackish line running 

 down it: however, when they are extended, 

 they appear to be much broader than could at 



