242 THE SCHOOL OF REAUMUR 



they feed upon all kinds of vegetable matter. They 

 drink much, but do not choose standing water, pre- 

 ferring dew, or raindrops on the grass. The burrows 

 of the field-cricket run in a horizontal or an inclined 

 direction ; vertical burrows might fill with water in 

 rainy weather. The crickets throw out the earth with 

 their hind legs, or pull it out with their jaws. Their 

 burrows are excavated in a dry, sunny place, not over- 

 grown with grass ; those of the male cricket are easily 

 found, for they are quite open, and enlarged towards 

 the entrance. Here the amorous male sits and sings, to 

 charm any female that may be within hearing, and his 

 burrow is made wide enough to lodge his mate as well 

 as himself The female cricket closes the burrow when 

 she has laid her eggs. Young crickets make deep holes, 

 but crickets of the second year make shallow holes 

 as if they foresaw that they would die before winter. 

 Crickets live near together, but do not share the same 

 holes, except for a short period when mated. The 

 females are prone to bite, and even to devour the males. 

 The males show rivalry ; one will pursue or defy another, 

 and they sometimes butt at one another like goats. The 

 impregnation of the female by a spermatophore and the 

 action of the ovipositor in egg-laying are carefully 

 described. The long yellow eggs are laid in batches of 

 about thirty. Fresh-hatched crickets cluster together ; 

 they are at first pale, but soon darken. Four moults 

 are gone through before maturity is attained ; the 

 cricket eats up its cast skin. After the third moult the 

 wings and the ovipositor become evident. 



Keaders of the Natural History of Selborne will 

 remember the letter on the field-cricket. Frisch has 

 not the charm of Gilbert White, but on this particular 

 topic he has more information to communicate. His 



I 



