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^eld-cricket; which, though frequent in these parts, is by no 

 means a common insect in many other counties. 



As their cheerful summer cry cannot but draw the attention of 

 a naturalist, I have often gone down to examine the oeconomy 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 dip 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 inadvertently 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 implement, a pliant stalk 

 of grass, gently insinuated into the caverns, will probe their 

 windings to the bottom, and quickly bring out the inhabitant ; 

 and thus the humane inquirer may gratify his curiosity without 

 injuring the object of it. It is remarkable that, though these 

 insects are furnished with long legs behind, and brawny thighs 

 for leaping, like grasshoppers ; yet when driven from their holes 

 they show no activity, but crawl along in a shiftless manner, so 

 as easily to be taken : and again, though provided with a curious 

 apparatus of wings, yet they never exert them when there seems 

 to be the greatest occasion. The males only make that shrilling 

 noise perhaps out of rivalry and emulation, as is the case with 

 many animals which exert some sprightly note during their 

 breeding time : it is raised by a brisk friction of one wing against 

 the other. They are solitary beings, living singly male or female, 

 each as it may happen ; but there must be a time when the sexes 

 have some intercourse, and then the wings may be useful perhaps 

 during the hours of night. When the males meet they will fight 

 fiercely, as I found by some which I put into the crevices of a dry 



