OF SELBORNE. 351 



heard by day, yet is their natural time of motion only 

 in the night. As soon as it grows dusk, the chirping 

 increases, and they come running forth, and are from 

 the size of a flea 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, being 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 housewife's barometer, foretelling her 

 when it will rain ; and are prognostic sometimes, she 

 thinks, of ill or good luck ; of the death of a near rela- 

 tion, or the aproach of an absent lover. By being the 

 constant companions of her solitary hours they natu- 

 rally become the objects of her superstition. These 

 crickets are not only very thirsty, but very voracious ; 

 for they will eat the scummings of pots, and yeast, salt, 

 and crumbs of bread ; and any kitchen offal or sweep- 

 ings. In the summer we have observed them to fly, 

 when it became dusk, out of the windows, and over 

 the neighbouring 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 be- 

 fore. 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 colo- 

 nies. When in the air they move volatu undoso,. in 

 waves or curves, like woodpeckers, opening and shut- 

 ting 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 

 noisome 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 



