I 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE RAINS 8i 



sufficient to mention that I became satisfied that the 

 crickets of all the four varieties did not take possession 

 of the abandoned domiciles of other animals, but that 

 they each excavated a little subterraneous habitation 

 for themselves. 



The holes of all the crickets were generally very 

 similar. They were long, they descended to a con- 

 siderable depth and at a steep inclination, and they 

 had no ramifications. The hole of the jheengoo, 

 however, had two rather singular additions. Imme- 

 diately before the entrance of the hole there was 

 always a shallow, oval -shaped depression. The de- 

 pression, both in form and size, very much resembled 

 an ordinary tea-spoon. The object of this construction 

 at first puzzled me ; but I afterwards was told by my 

 servants — those of them who sat up late — that these 

 oval depressions were used as a sort of concert-room. 

 At night, they said, each jheengoo came out of his hole 

 and seated himself in the depression, and there emitted 

 those chirruping sounds that had attracted my attention 

 the night that followed the first fall of the rains. 



I cannot clearly remember whether or not I myself 

 ever saw the jheengoo seated in the depression. I 

 rather think that I did ; but I also think that it was 

 not at night, but in the afternoon. 



The purpose of the other addition I never ascertained, 

 nor, indeed, can I conjecture. It is a small hole. It is 

 situated a few inches from the principal hole, and 

 always to one side and more or less behind. It descends 

 straight down to the main hole, and joins it at about 

 a depth of six inches below the surface of the ground. 



h 



