L E T T E R X L V L
TO THE SAME*
S e l b o r n b .
^ — refonant arbufta — —- —- ”
T h e r e is a fteep abrupt pafture field interfperfed with furze
elofe to the back of this village, well known by the name of the
Short Lithe, confifting of a rocky dry foil, and inclining to the
afternoon fun. This fpot abounds with the grylhs campefim, or
field-cricket; which, though frequent in thefe parts, is by no means
a common infedt in many other counties.
As their cheerful fummer cry cannot but draw the attention of
a naturalift, I have often gone down to examine the ceconomy
of thefe grylli, and ftudy their mode of life : but they are fo fhy
and cautious that it is no eafy matter to get a fight of them ; for,
feeling a perfon’s footfteps as he advances, they ftop fhort in the
midft of their fong, and retire backward nimbly into their burrows,
where they lurk till all fufpicion of danger is over.
At firft we attempted to dig them out with a fpade, but without
any great fuccefs; for either we could not get to the bottom of
the hole, which often terminated under a great ftone ; or elfe, in
breaking up the ground, we inadvertently fqueezed the poor in-
fed: to death. Out of one fo bruifed we took a multitude of eggs,
which
■ which were long and narrow, of a yellow colour, and covered with
a very tough Ikin. By this accident we learned to diftinguilh the
male from the female; the former of which is fhining black, with
a golden ftripe acrofs his Ihoulders j the latter is more duiky, more
capacious about the abdomen, and carries a long fword-lhaped
weapon at her tail, which probably is the inftrument with which
fhe depofits her eggs in crannies and fafe receptacles.
Where violent methods will not avail, more gentle means will
often fucceed ; and fo it proved in the prefent cafe; for, though a
fpade be too boifterous and rough an implement, a pliant ftalk
o f grafs, gently infinuated into the caverns, will probe their windings
to the bottom, and quickly bring out the inhabitant; and
thus the humane inquirer may gratify his curiofity without injuring
the object of it. It is remarkable that, though thefe infedts
are furnilhed with long legs behind, and brawny thighs for leaping,
like grafshoppers; yet when driven from their holes they
fhew no adlivity, but crawl along in a lhiftlefs manner, fo as
ealily to be taken : and again, though provided with a curious
apparatus of wings, yet they never exert them when there feems
to be the greateft occafion. The males only make that fhrilling
noife perhaps out of rivalry and emulation, as is the cafe with
many animals which exert fome fprightly note during their breeding
time : it is raifed by a brilk fridtion of one wing againft: the other.
They are folitary beings, living lingly male or female, each as it
may happen ; but there muft be a time when the fexes have fome
intercourfe, and then the wings may be ufeful perhaps during the
hours of night. When the males meet they will fight fiercely, as
I found by fome which I put into the crevices of a dry ftone wall,
where I Ihould have been glad to have made them fettle. For
though they feemed diftreffed by being taken out of their know-
K k a ledge,