BRITISH INSECTS 



The House Cricket (Fig. 7) revels in heat, and it is 

 wonderful what a high temperature it can stand, but we 

 are told, and not without surprise, that it often gets 

 thirsty, and must have somewhere at hand where it 

 can drink. Damp wool seems to be a favourite diet 



'3 7- 



MoLLSi Crickcr 



of this species, but there must surely be other ingre- 

 dients upon which it feeds of which we are not cognisant 

 Clothes, placed to air or dry by the fire overnight, or in 

 an airing cupboard, have been found to be riddled by 

 these household inmates, reminding one of the ravages of 

 the larva of the Clothes Moth, of whose unkind attention 

 my expensive boxcloth gaiters bear ample evidence at the 

 present time. The Cricket is attracted by light, if the 

 latter is extinguished in the room, and an electric torch 

 is held at its entrance hole. In Summer one can often 

 hear Crickets out-of-doors. These need not neces- 

 sarily be Field Crickets, as the House Cricket will forsake 

 its indoor retreat in Summer, and take a lengthy airing 

 24 



