48 G R Y t 
one line tranfverfely. The thorax forms a kind of cui- 
rafs, oblong, almoft cylindrical, which appears as it 
were velvety. The elytra, which are fliort, reach but 
to the middle of the abdomen, are eroded one over the 
other, and have large black or brown nervous fibres. The 
wings terminate in a point, longer not only than the ely¬ 
tra, but even than the abdomen; this latter is foft, and 
ends in two points or appendices of fome length. Cut 
what conftitutes the chief Angularity of this infect are 
its fore-feet, which are very large and flat, with broad 
legs, ending outwardly in four large ferrated claws, and 
inwardly in two only ; between which claws is fituated, 
and often concealed, the tarlus. The whole animal is 
of a brown dufky colour. It haunts moift meadows, 
and frequents the fides of ponds and banks of dreams, 
performing all its functions; in a fwampy wet foil. With 
a pair of tore-feet curioufly adapted to the purpofe, it 
burrows and works .under ground like the mole, railing 
a ridge as it proceeds, but leldom throwing up hillocks. 
As mole crickets often infeft gardens by the fides of 
canals, they are unwelcome guefts to the gardener, raid¬ 
ing up ridges in their fubterraneous progrefs, and ren¬ 
dering the walks unfightly. If they take to the kitchen 
quarters, they occalion great damage among the plants 
and roots, by delfroying whole beds of cabbages, young 
legumes, and flowers. When dug out they feem very 
flow and helplefs, and make no ufe of their, wings by 
day ; but at night they come abroad, and make long cx- 
curfions. In fine weather, about the middle of April, 
and jull at the clofe of day, they begin to folace tliem- 
felves with a low', dull, jarring note, continued for a 
long time without interruption, and not unlike the chat¬ 
tering of the fern-owl, or goat-fucker, but more inward. 
About the beginning of May they lay their eggs, as 
Mr. White informs us, who was once an eye-witnels: 
6 ‘ for a gardener at a lioufe where he was on a vifif, 
happening to be mowing, on the 6th of that month, by 
the fide of a canal, his feythe (truck, too deep, pared off 
a large piece of turf, and laid open to view a curious 
Icene of domellic economy : there were many caverns 
■ and winding paffages leading to a kind of chamber, 
neatly fmoothed and rounded, and about the lize of a 
moderate linifl-box. Within this fecret nurfery were 
depofited near one hundred eggs of a dirty yellow co¬ 
lour, and enveloped in a tough Ikin, but too lately ex¬ 
cluded to contain any rudiments of young, being full of 
a vifeous fubftance. The eggs lay but (hallow, and 
within the influence of the fun, juft under a little heap 
of frefli-mowed mould, like that which israifed by ants.” 
21. Gryllus monftrofus : wing-cafes and wings tailed 
convolute. Antennae longer than the body ; (hanks 
fpinous ; feet dilated lobate. Inhabits India. 
22. Gryllusdomefticus, the houfe-cricket : wings tail¬ 
ed, longer than the wing-cafes; body glaucous. This is 
an inhabitant of almoft every houfe, but it is (aid to de¬ 
light in new-built houfes ; being, like the fpider, pleafed 
with the moiftureof the walls ; and befides, the foftnefs 
of the mortar enables them to burrow and mine between 
the joints of the bricks or (tones, and to open commu¬ 
nications from one room to another. Yet they are par¬ 
ticularly fond of kitchens and bakers ovens, on account 
of their perpetual warmth. Tender infects that live 
abroad either enjoy only the (liort period of one lumnier, 
elfe doze away the cold uncomfortable months in pro¬ 
found (lumbers; but thefe, fays Mr. White, redding as 
it were in a torrid zone, are always alert and merry : a 
good Chriftmas fh'e is to them like the heats of the dog- 
days. Though they are frequently heard by day, yet 
is their natural time of motion only in the higlu. As 
foon as it grows dtilk, the chirping inereafes, and they 
come running forth, and are from the (ize of a f>ea to 
that of thefr full ftature. As one fllould (uppofe, from 
the burning atmolphere which they inhabit* they are a 
thirfty race, and drew a great propenlity for liquids, be¬ 
ing found frequently drowned in pans of water, milk, 
, L U S. 
broth, or the like. Whatever is moift they affe£]t; and 
therefore often gnaw holes in wet woollen (lockings and 
aprons that are hung to the fire. Thefe crickets are 
not only very thirfty, but very voracious; for they will 
eat the feumrhings of pots; yeaft, fait, and crumbs of 
bread; and any kitchen offal or fweepings. In the fum- 
mer we have obferved them to fly, when it became 
du(k, out of the windows-, and over the neighbouring 
roofs. This feat of activity accounts for the fuddeu 
manner in which they often leave their haunts, as it 
’does for the method by which they come to houfes 
where they were not known before. It is remarkable, 
that many forts of infedls feem never to ufe their wings 
but when they have a mind to (hift their quarters and 
fettle new "colonies. When in the air they move in 
waves or curves, like wood-peckers, opening and (hut¬ 
ting their wings at every ftrolce, and fo are always fifing 
and linking. When they increafe to a great degree, 
they become noifome pefts, flying into the candles, 
and dafhing into people.’s faces; but may be blafted 
by gunpowder difeharged into their crevices and cran¬ 
nies. Cats catch houfe-crickets, and, playing with them 
as they do with mice, devour them. Crickets may be 
deftroyed, like wafps, by phials half-filled with beer, 
or any liquid, and fet in their haunts; for, being always 
eager to drink, they will crowd in till the bottles are 
full. A popular prejudice, however, frequently pre¬ 
vents their being driven.away and-deftroyed: the com¬ 
mon people imagine that their prefence brings a kind of 
luck to the houfe while they are in it, and think it 
would be hazardous to deftroy them. 
23. Gryllus aflimilis: wings tailed, longer than the 
wing-cafes ; abdomen with two ftyles, cleft at the tip. 
Antenme pale; thorax and head black with a pale edge ; 
wing-cafes-- rounded, brown; abdomen black ; ftyles or 
fpinous projections filiform, as long as the abdomen ; 
legs brown. Inhabits Jamaica : fize of the preceding. 
24. Gryllus reticulatus: black; wing-cafes reticu¬ 
late with rufous ; antennae annulate with white. Anten¬ 
nas twice as long as the body, black with feven white 
rings; head yellowilli ; crown black; thorax black 
with a yellow foot in the middle; wing-cafes ftiort ob- 
tufe; abdomen black; ftyles two, villous, with an af« 
cending (pine. Inhabits Africa. 
25. GryllusBrafilienfis : wings tailed, longer than the 
wing-cafes ; body brown, paler on tire back ; tail amend¬ 
ing, as long as the body. Head brown; crown paler; 
thorax brow nidi at the (ides, pale above; wing-cafes 
rounded, with, a lateral black (pot; abdomen with a 
yellowilli projection, brownatthe end. Inhabits Brafil. 
26. Gryllus orientalis: wings tailed, longer than the 
wing-cafes; body deep black; head and legsteftaceous. 
Wings twice as long as the cafes, white with brownilh 
tips; ftyles longer than the abdomen; legs dimple yel- 
lowifli. Inhabits Tranquebar. 
27. Gryllus flavipes : wings tailed, green, longer-tban 
the wing-cafes; legs yellowifli. Head and thorax yel¬ 
low i(h ; wing-cafes green with a yellowilli margin; 
briftles of the tail as long as the abdomen, black, thick 
at the tip, and bifid. Inhabits St. Thomas’s Iiland in 
America. 
28. Gryllus Capenfis; wings tailed, longer than the 
wing-cafes; body black; wing-cafes brown, yellow at 
the bale. Inhabits Africa; very much referofiles G. 
c-ampeftris. 
29. Gryllus morio: wings tailed, longer than the 
wing-cafes; white tipt with black; body deep black. 
Eyes teftaceous; wing-cafes rounded at the tip ; tail 
with a long filiform brown (pine. Inhabits Africa. 
30. Gryllus campeftris, the field-cricket: wings 
ftrortei' than the wing-cafes; body blackilh ; ftyle li¬ 
near. Towards ftin let is the time the field cricket 
likes bed to appear out of its fubterraneous -habita¬ 
tion. In White’s Natural Hiftory of Selbourne, a 
very pica ling account is given of the manners and-eco¬ 
nomy 
