, 
fe NATURAL HISTORY. 
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gated’ with fculptures, feeming almoft to cover the whole body, and’ 
the tail is forked: the bulk of the body of the male is jefs than that of 
the female, for this laft has a larger belly, and grafs-green eyes, with 
red feelers, and a tail like a trident: they are found in the fields in the 
fummer time, making holes in the ground, where they build their nefty 
and where they lie concealed in a mild winter, but in one that is feveres 
they die in their holes :. they miake a particular fort of noife with their’ 
wings, which is plain from this: namely, that when their wings are 
taken off the noife ceafes:: they fing day and night, and they delight 
in the fun, fitting. atthe mouths of their holes. They frequent pafture= 
grounds and meadows that are qnite open, for they fhun (hady places. 
They fing moft when people are at a diftance, for when they come 
near they are filent, and get into their holes. 
The Water Cricket has a‘ five cornered head, with prominent globous 
black eyes, but not large 5 near the mouth tliere are very flort feelersy 
- arrow which has been newly fown, and rob it of all its contents. Its 
legs are formed in fuch a manner that it can penetrate the earth im 
ad 
 fmalleft breath of air. The eggs generally, amount-to the number of 
is a? 
and there are three feet on each fide ;. but the hindermoft are much the 
longeft: the wings are on the back; or at leaft the rudiments of them, 
~ and the tail is forked; the body is of a brownifh colour, or rather of a 
whitifh black.» It differs from the land Gricket in having a more pro- 
minent head,- and fomewhat of a neck: the wings feemr likewife to be 
ufelefs for fying, though they help to raife this infe@t up. It is com- 
monly feen fitting upon water-plants, and is faid. to fing like the land 
Crickets. © 
But of all-the cricket: kind, that which is called: the Male-Cricket is 
the moft extraordinary. This animal is the largeft of all the infects 
with which we are acquainted in this country, being two inches and a 
half in length; and:three quarters of an inch in breadth. The colour 
is of a dufky brown; and at the extremity of the tail there are two 
hairy excrefcences,: refembling in fome fenfe the tail of a moufe. The 
body confifts of eight fealy: joints or feparate folds, is brown on the 
upper part, and more deeply tinged below. The wings are long, nar- 
row, and terminate in a fharp point, each having a blackith line run- 
ning down it: however, when they are extended, they appear to be’ 
much broader than could at firft fight be fuppofed. The thield of the 
breaft is of a firm texture, of a-blackifh colour and hairy. The fore- 
feet, which are this animal’s principal inftruments of burrowing. into” 
the earth, are ftrong, webbed, and hairy ;. it generally, however, runs 
backward ;- but it is:commonly under ground, where it burrows ever 
fafter than a'mole. It is thought alfo to be amphibious ;: and capable 
of living. under water, as well as: under ground. 
OF all infe&s this is the moft deteRed by gardeners, as it chiefly re- 
fides in that ground which lies light,-and’ where it finds fufficient plenty 
under the furface. Thus, in a fingle night’s:time, it will run along 2 
every direction ; before, behind, and: above it. At night it ventures 
from its under ground habitation, and, like the cricket,-has its chirp- 
ing call. When the female is-fecundated; fhe makes’ a cell of clammy 
earth; the infide of which is large enough to hold two hazle-nuts; an 
in this the lays her eggs. The whole neft is about the fize of a com 
mon hen’s egg, clofed up on every fide, and well defended from the 
C 
oG. 
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