196 To Keep Eggs. [Oct. 



verance to detect the insect in the act of making the noise, in or- 

 der to satisfy ray doubting mind. It is astonishingly shy, and 

 seeks some retired crevice or hidden corner, in which to venture 

 upon its music. I have never been able to find one ticking in an 

 exposed situation. 



But in the summer of 1846, I triumphed in my pursuit and 

 succeeded in detecting one in making its noise. Whilst walking 

 in my room I heard one making an unusually loud noise, some 

 fifteen or twenty feet from me, and I traced it to a vase of arti- 

 ficial fiowers, v/hich stood on the top of my book case. I cau- 

 tiously approached it, but the shy little creature saw or heard me, 

 and as often as I moved it would stop a short time as if fearful of 

 me. By caution and perseverance, I succeeded in finding it be- 

 tween two of the leaves, and so situated that it could not escape 

 except by springing directly towards me over the leaf. It would 

 spring with astonishing quickness from one side of the leaf to the 

 other as I moyed, and how to catch it was the question. The 

 least touch of anything harsh would extinguish it like a small 

 bubble. I finally concluded to apply some fiuid which would de- 

 stroy its life without mutilation; so I dipped a small stick in 

 spirits of turpentine and by the touch the insect adhered to the 

 end of it, and I now have it in my cabinet, and those who desire 

 may see it. 



It is therefore no longer a matter of doubt in my mind whether 

 the Mropos pnlsalorius makes the noise. I have heard it and 

 know it. I attril>ute the loudness of the sound it made to the ad- 

 vantageous situation it occupied between the dry artificial leaves 

 which operated as sounding boards. It is truly inconceivably 

 mysterious how ;^o small and delicate a thing can make such 

 a noise. But still this is no more strange than many, very many 

 other things which we learn in the entomological world, and 

 which are equally interesting and wonderful to the naturalist. 



TO KEEP EGGS. 

 Take two pecks of unslackcd lime, pour water upon it till it is 

 only strong enough to let an egg swim with one end a little 

 above the water; let it stand till clear; pour off the liquid, and 

 add to it 1 lb. 8 oz. of saU, and 8 oz. cream tartar; stir the whole 

 well together. Fill either tubs or large pickling jars with eggs, 

 and ])our the mixture over them till the tubs or jars are full, and 

 the liquor at least three inches above the eggs. Let them stand 

 a few days and see if the liquor decreases; if so, fill again: then 

 put bungs into the jars, or heads into the casks and cover them 

 over with Parker's cement. — Gard. Chromde. 



