164 
ST. HELENA. 
Order Orthoptera. 
The Earwigs, the Cockroaches, the Crickets, and the Grass- 
hoppers together occupy rather a considerable place in the insect 
world of St. Helena. The latter two inhabit chiefly the grassy 
mountain tops of the high land and keep up their loud, shrill chirp 
through the fine summer evenings, and far into the night. The earwigs 
occupy much the same position as they do in England, frequenting 
both fruit and flowers, hut are also found under the loose stones 
which lie about the outskirts of the Island, where, in the warmer 
climate, they attain a large size. Cockroaches are a terror to all 
housekeepers whose fate it is to live on the low lands, indeed any- 
where below an altitude of six or eight hundred feet above the sea, 
where a warm climate exists, and more especially in Jamestown and 
at Ladder Hill. Occasionally they make their way into the kitchens 
of houses at a higher altitude, but not in large numbers. They are 
the most objectionable creatures existing in the Island, and their 
curiosity knows no bounds. They will crawl up a lighted candle to 
see what is at the top, until burnt by the flame they beat a hasty 
retreat ; they tumble into wine bottles, jam pots, get up the side of 
tumblers, and in their endeavours either to see or taste what they 
contain, fall headlong in without a chance of escape ; but their 
most unpleasant amusement is a habit of crawling over you when in 
bed and asleep at night, and peering down your throat if you happen 
to have your mouth open wide enough. It is always prudent to 
decant your wine in a cockroach country, as I once knew a gentleman 
who thoroughly enjoyed his bottle of crusty old port until on one occa- 
sion, with the last glass, out poured the porty carcase of an old grey 
cockroach. 
Grasshoppers are very numerous on the high central ridge 
adjacent to Diana’s Peak, nearly 3000 feet above the sea, amongst 
the cabbage-trees, ferns, and other native vegetation, where they seem 
merry and happy enough all through the day ; those whose habitat 
is amongst the grass and leaves, are in colour chiefly green, slightly 
marked with black or brown ; but those inhabiting the lower portions 
of the Island, % where little verdure exists, are entirely brown, 
partaking much of the colour of the earth and stones of the locality. 
The Crickets appear to be fully sensible of the safety afforded by 
