THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 2iI 
Christmas fire 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 night. As soon as it grows dusk, 
the chirping increases, and they come running forth, and are 
from the size of a flea to that of their full stature. As one 
should suppose, from the burning atmosphere which they 
inhabit, they are a thrifty race, and show a great propensity 
for liquids, being found frequently drowned in pans of water, 
milk, broth, or the like. Whatever is moist they affect; and 
therefore often gnaw holes in wet woollen stockings and aprons 
that are hung to the fire: they are the housewife’s barometer, 
foretelling her when it will rain, and are prognostic sometimes, 
she thinks, of ill or good luck, of the death of a near relation, 
or the approach of an absent lover. By being the constant 
companions of her solitary hours they naturally become the 
. objects of her superstition. These crickets are not only very 
thrifty, but very voracious ; for they will eat the scummings 
of pots, and yeast, salt, and crumbs of bread, and any kitchen 
offal or sweepings. In the summer we have observed them to 
fly when it became dusk out of the windows, and over the 
neighboring roofs. This feat of activity accounts for the 
sudden manner in which they often leave their haunts, as it 
does for the method by which they come to houses where they 
were not known before. It is remarkable that many sorts of 
insects seem never to use their wings but when they have a 
mind to shift their quarters and settle new colonies. When in 
the air they move in waves or curves, like woodpeckers, opening 
and shutting their wings at every stroke, and so are always 
rising or sinking. 
When they increase to a great degree, as they did once in 
the house where I am now writing, they become noisome 
pests, flying into the candles, and dashing into people’s faces ; 
but may be blasted and destroyed by gunpowder discharged 
into their crevices and crannies. In families at such times 
