Miners, Diggers, and Carpenters. 



behind the first pair of legs. The wings are broad, 

 and fold back like a fan, and when expanded are of 

 fairly large size, to permit of lifting the heavy body 

 from the ground. On warm summer evenings the Mole 

 Cricket will sometimes unfurl its wings and indulge in 

 short circular flights, but it does not seem to make as 

 much use of its wings as their size might lead one to 

 expect. Specimens which I had under observation for 

 some time, although allowed plenty of liberty, being 

 placed in a large glass case, never attempted to fly out, 

 but seemed perfectly content to tunnel in the soil, and 

 sometimes to come out in the evening to lick the mois- 

 ture from the blades of grass which had been sprinkled 

 with water. Only once, when they had been placed 

 in a large, shallow tray, with hardly sufficient earth to 

 cover them, so that I could watch the action of their 

 front legs in digging, did one suddenly take flight ; 

 but as it only flew a few yards away, and then, alight- 

 ing on a flower-bed, began to burrow, it was quickly 

 recaptured. 



The insect first drives a vertical shaft down from 

 the surface, kicking out the material which accumulates 

 at the side of this entrance hole. It is wonderful to 

 see with what strength and rapidity the Mole Cricket 

 works, digging away with its powerful front legs, which 

 are so admirably adapted for this work, and with its 

 strong jaws biting through any fibrous roots that may 

 impede its progress. Once the descending shaft has 

 been completed, the Mole Cricket then proceeds to 

 scoop out at its base an oval chamber or living-room. 

 Then numerous horizontal galleries, more or less in- 

 clined, and all communicating with the central shaft, 



