THE MOLE CRICKET. 535 
timid creature, and on hearing, or perchance feeling, an approaching foot- 
step, it immediately retreats to the deepest recesses of the burrow, where it 
waits until it imagines the danger to have gone by. 
Despite of its timidity, howcver, it seeins to be combative in no slight 
degree, and if a blade of grass or straw be pushed into its hole, it will seize 
the intruding subsiance so firmly that 
it can be drawn out of the burrow 
before it will loosen its hold. ‘lhe 
males are especially warlike, and if 
two specimens be confined in the same 
box, they will fight until one is killed. 
The vanquished foe is then eaten by 
the victor. In White’s “ Natural His- 
tory of -Selborne” there is a careful 
and interesting description of the Field FIELD CRICKET.—(Gryllus campestris.) 
Cricket and its habits. 
OnE of the oddest-looking of the British insects is the MOLE CRICKET, 
so called on account of its burrowing habits and altogether Mole-like 
aspect. This insect is represented of the natural size, and, as may be seen, 
attains considerable dimensions. 
Like those of the mole, the fore limbs of the Mole Cricket are of enormous 
comparative size, and turned outwards at just the same angle from the body. 
All the legs are strong, but the middle and hinder pair appear quite weak 
and insignificant when compared with the gigantic developments of the front 
pair. This insect is rather local, but is found in many parts of England, 
MOLE CRICKET. —(G7ydlutalpa vulya ts.) 
where it is known by sundry popular titles, Croaker being the name most in 
vogue near Oxford, where it is found in toleranle plenty. 
‘Lhe colour of the Mole Cricket is brown of different tints, darker upon the 
thorax than on the wing-coverts, botn of which organs are covered with a 
very fine and short down. 
As might be surmised from the extraordinary muscular power of the fore- 
legs, the Mole Cricket can burrow with great rapidity. The excavation is of 
a rather complicated form, consisting of a moderstely large chamber with 
neatly smoothed walls, and m-ny winding passages communicating with this 
central apartment. In tle chamber are placed from one to four hundred 
