2i6 The Natural History 



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 super- 

 stition. 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 imdoso," 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 became 

 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."^ 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 fill the bottles are 

 full. 



* Exod. viii. 3. 



