172 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Popular prejudice Anecdote. 



them, as they do with mice, devour them. Cric 

 kets 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." 



A popular prejudice, however, frequently pre- 

 vents any attempts at their destruction, many 

 people imagining that their presence is attended 

 with good luck, and that to kill or drive them 

 away will surely bring some unfortunate occur- 

 rence on the family. 



The great Scaliger was particularly delighted 

 with the chirping of crickets, and kept several 

 of them for his amusement, enclosed in a box, 

 which he placed in a warm situation. Others, 

 on the contrary, think there is something omi- 

 nous and melancholy in the sound, and use 

 every endeavour to banish this insect from their 

 houses. 



Ledelius tells us of a woman who was very 

 much incommoded by crickets, and tried, but in 

 vain every method of banishing them from her 

 house. She at last accidentally succeeded ; for 

 having one day invited several guests to her 

 house, where there was a wedding, in order to 

 increase the festivity of the entertainment, she 

 procured drums and trumpets to entertain them. 

 The noise of these was so much greater than 

 what the little animals were used to, that they 

 instantly forsook their situation, and were never 

 heard in that mansion more. 



