OF SELBORNE. 265 



As their cheerful summer cry cannot but draw the 

 attention of a naturalist, I have often gone down to examine 

 the economy of these grylli, and study their mode of life ; 

 but they are so shy and cautious that it is no easy matter to 

 get a sight of them ; for, feeling a person's footsteps as he 

 advances, they stop short in the midst of their song, and 

 retire backward nimbly into their burrows, where they lurk 

 till all suspicion of danger is over. 



At first we attempted to dig them out with a spade, but 

 without any great success : for either we could not get to 

 the bottom of the hole, which often terminated under a 

 great stone ; or else, in breaking up the ground, we inad- 



FIELI) CRICKET. 



vertently squeezed the poor insect to death. Out of one so 

 bruised we took a multitude of eggs, which were long and 

 narrow, of a yellow colour, and covered with a very tough 

 skin. By this accident we learned to distinguish the male 

 from the female : the former of which is shining black, 

 with a golden stripe across his shoulders ; the latter is more 

 dusky, more capacious about the abdomen, and carries a 

 long sword-shaped weapon at her tail, which probably is 

 the instrument with which she deposits her eggs in crannies 

 and safe receptacles. 



Where violent methods will not avail, more gentle means 

 will often succeed ; and so it proved in the present case : 

 for though a spade be too boisterous and rough an imple- 

 ment, a pliant stalk of grass, gently insinuated into the 

 caverns, will probe their windings to the bottom, and quickly 



