NA TURAL P1ISTOR Y OF SELBORNE. 239 



LETTER XLVI. 



TO THE SAME. 



" resonant arbusta - ." 



SELBORNE. 



THERE is a steep abrupt pasture field and interspersed with furze 

 close to the back of this village, well known by the name of Short 

 Lithe, consisting of a rocky dry soil, and inclining to the afternoon 

 sun. This spot abounds with the gryllus campestris, or field- 

 cricket ; which, though frequent in these parts, is by no means a 

 common insect in many other counties. 



As their cheerful summer cry cannot but draw the attention of a 

 naturalist, I have often gone down to examine the economy of 

 these grylli, and study their mode of life ; but they are so shy and 

 cautious that it is no easy matter to get a sight of them ; for feel- 

 ing a person 1 s footsteps as he advances, they stop short in the 

 midst of their song, and retire backward nimbly into their burrows, 

 where they lurk till all suspicion of danger is over. 



At first we attempted to dig them out with a spade, but without 

 any great success ; for either we could not get to the bottom of the 

 hole, which often terminated under a great stone ; or else in break- 

 ing up the ground we inadvertently squeezed the poor insect to 

 death. Out of one so bruised we took a multitude of eggs, which 

 were long and narrow, of a yellow colour, and covered with a very 

 tough skin. By this accident we learned to distinguish the male 

 from the female ; the former of which is shining black, with a 

 golden stripe across his shoulders ; the latter is more dusky, more 

 capacious about the abdomen, and carries a long, sword-shaped 

 weapon at her tail, which probably is the instrument with which 

 she deposits her eggs in crannies and safe receptacles. 



Where violent methods will not avail, more gentle means will 

 often succeed, and so it proved in the present case ; for, though a 

 spade be too boisterous and rough an implement, a pliant stalk of 

 grass, gently insinuated into the caverns, will probe their windings 

 to the bottom, and quickly bring out the inhabitant ; and thus the 

 humane inquirer may gratify his curiosity without injuring the 



