The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-10-12
THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY.
p Tuesday, October I2. 1860.
The Bcatii.ygatcis.

Insects which are much more com
mon than the death s-head moth, though
from their minuteneSs not so often heard
OF, often strike the uneducated with ter
ror as the messengers Of death We
refer to the sound which most of our
readers may have heard issuing from old
timber or old books. resembling the
ticking of watch; whence tie insect is
called the Death Watch.
Sir Thomas Browne considered this
marvellous story Of great Importance,
and remarks: Few ears have escaped
the noise Of the death-watch. that is, the
little clicking sound heard often in many
rooms, somewhat resembling that of a
watch. And this is conceived to be an
eyilomen or prediction of some PERSONS s
death, wherein notwithstanding there is
nothing of rational pressage or just
cause of terror unto melancholy and
metlculous heads. For the noise is made
hy = little sheath winged gray insect,
found often in wainscot- benches and
woodwork in the summer. We have ta-
ken many thereof, and kept them in thin
boxes wherein l have heard and seen
them work and knock with little probo
scis or trunk against the side of the box
like ptcUs agmtiRS, or woodpeclser,
against tree. 1t worketh but in warm
weather, and for the most part giveth
not over nine or under eleven strokes at
time. He that could extinguish the
terrifying apprehensions hereof might
prevent the passions of the heart and
many cold sweats in grandmothers and
nurses, who in the sickness of children
arc so startled with these noises
Swift endeavored to perform this use
full task by means of ridicule, thus:
ga WOODWORK
That lies in old wood, like hair in her forn:
With teeth or with claws it will bite or will
scratch;
And chambermaids christen this worm death
watch,
Because like watch railways cries click;
Then woe be to those in the housethat are sick.
For, sure as gun, they will give up the ghost
If the maggot cries click when it scratches the
post
Buta kettle of scald;ng hot water elected,
Intallibly cures the timber effected:
Seriously speaking, little entomolo-
gical knowledge will dispel all such fears
for ever. 1t is how received opinion
adopted upon satisfactory evidence, that
thelabove sound is produced by certain
beetles belonging to the timber boring
genus Anobium though some tick loud
er than others. When spring is far adj
vanced, these insects commence theil
ticking as a call to each other, which is
thus produced: raising itself upon its
hind legs, with the body somewhat in
clined, it beats its head with great force
and agility upon the plane of position
and its strokes are 50 powerful as tC
make {. considerable impression if they
fail upon any substance softer than wood
The general number. of distinct strokes
in succession is from seven to nine Oh
eleven. Theyfollow each other quickly
and are repeated at irregular intervals
The noise exactly resembles that produ
ced BY tapping moderately with the mai
upon a table; and when familiarized, tht
insect viii answer very readily the taI
of the nail. The superstition that tht
clicking of tliis insect is death-omer
ismentioned by Baxter in his .'Worlt
of Spirits" which obtained currency fol
its belief upward of a century
Gay has the line,
The solemn death-watch clickd the hour sh
died."
and Pope terms 'death-walches, physi
cians.n sa,.s-- ~ t.s-. :.