THE DEATH-WATCH PTINUS. 249 



among the lower class of people, from the noise 

 that it makes, at a certain time of the year, re- 

 sembling the ticking of a watch. From this it has 

 its name, for, whenever this faculty is exerted, it 

 is esteemed portentive of death to some one of the 

 family in the house where it is heard. The philo- 

 sopher and the naturalist may smile at a superstition 

 thus absurd; yet Sir Thomas Brown has remarked, 

 with great earnestness, that the man " who could 

 eradicate this error from the minds of the people, 

 would save from many a cold sweat the meticulous 

 heads of nurses and grand-mothers *." 



The wether's bell 

 Before the drooping flock told forth her knell, 

 The solemn Death-watch click'd the hour she died. 



It is chiefly in the advanced state of spring that 

 these insects commence their noise, which is no 

 more than a call or signal by which they are mu- 

 tually attracted to each other ; and it may be con- 

 sidered as analogous to the call of birds. This 

 noise does not arise from the voice, but from the 

 jnsects beating on any hard substance with the shield 

 or forepart of the head. The general number of 

 successive distinct strokes is from seven to nine, or 

 eleven. These are given in pretty quick succes- 

 sion, and are repeated at uncertain intervals • and 

 in old houses, where the insects are numerous, 

 they may be heard, if the weather be warm, almost 



Vulgar Erro/s. 



