Observations upon Crickets in Canada

 

By John Hale

 

[Originally published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in Transactions, Original Series 1, Volume 1 (1829)]

 

In the month of September, the black Field Crickets are observed to approach the Shores of Rivers and Pools; and as soon as they reach the water, an animated substance issues from their Tails, which resembles an Eel, and which immediately swims away on the surface, by the serpentine motion. Sometimes two of these Eels are produced by one Cricket and they come out together.

 

The largest Eel that has been noticed is about six inches long, and nearly twice the thickness of a horse hair: they have not mouths like eels, but there is at one end, an enlargement of their size, resembling the end of an Elephants Trunk, apparently for the purpose of suction.

 

The Crickets, after delivery, seem to make some efforts to withdraw from the water; and when there is no surf, they succeed; but they appear exhausted, and many are found dead at the water's edge.

 

After a short time the Eels collect themselves into small parcels, entwined together, when they resemble unravelled thread, and they sink to the bottom when they soon cease to have motion. The approach of winter has hitherto concealed them from further observation.