200 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



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 relation, or the approach of an absent lover. By 

 being the constant companions of her solitary hours they naturally 

 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 sweepings. 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 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 undoso," in waves or curves, like wood-peckers, 

 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 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 beds, 

 "and in their ovens, and in their kneading- troughs ". l 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. Crickets may be destroyed, like wasps, 

 by phials half filled with beer, or any liquid, and set in their 

 haunts ; for, being always eager to drink, they will crowd in till 

 the bottles are full. 



1 Exod. viii. 3. 



