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FIELD CRICKETS. 
teristic of our land salamander. We therefore must consider this 
Japanese lizard, as a variety of our land salamander, modified a little 
by the climate of Japan. It is found in Niphon, the largest island of 
that empire, inhabiting mountains and rocky places. The Japanese 
consider it as a very powerful stimulant, and a very active remedy in 
some disorders. In the neighbourhood of Jedo, a number of these 
Japanese salamanders may be seen dried, hanging from the ceiling of 
the shops. 
Field Crickets. 
In White’s Natural History of Seibourne, a very pleasing account 
is given of the manners and economy of these insects, which, however, 
are so sly 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 step nimbly into their burrows, 
where they lurk till all suspicion of danger is over. At first it was 
attempted to dig them out with a spade, but without any great suc- 
cess, for either the bottom of the hole was inaccessible by its termi- 
nating under a great stone, or, in breaking up the ground, the poor 
insect was inadvertently crushed to death. Out of one so bruised a 
multitude of eggs were taken, which were long and narrow, of a yellow 
colour, and covered with a very tough skin. Gentle means were 
then used, and proved successful : a pliant stalk of grass, gently 
insinuated into the caverns, will probe their windings to the bottom, 
and quickly bring out the inhabitant, and thiis the humane inquirer 
may gratify his curiosity w'ithout injuring the object of it. It is 
remarkable, that though these insects are furnished w'ith long legs 
behind, and brawny thighs for leaping, like grasshoppers, yet when 
driven from their holes, they shew 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 
trilling noise, perhaps out of rivalry and emulation, as is the case 
W'ith 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, but 
there must be a time when they have some intercourse, and then the 
w'ings may perhaps be useful during the night. 
When the males meet, they fight fiercely, as our author found by 
some which he put into the crevices of a dry stone-wall, vt'liere he 
wanted to have made them settle. For though they seemed distressed 
by being taken out of their native habitations, yet the first which got 
possession of the chinks w'ould seize on any that obtruded upon them 
with a vast row of serrated claw's. 
With their strong claws, toothed like the shears of a lobster’s claw, 
they perforate and round their curious regular cells, having no fore 
claws to dig, like the mole cricket. When taken in the hand, they 
never offered to defend themselves, though armed with such formida- 
ble weapons. Of such herbs as grow before the mouth of their 
burrows, they eat indiscriminately ; and on a little platform, which 
