Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 033.djvu/172

 Beatings began again; this made me conjecture, that they might be about the Chair, and that my tanding upon it might prevent them. Upon inclining my Head down toward the Chair, I found I was till nearer and nearer to the Sound, and, at lat, placing my Ear cloe to the Sedge Bottom of the Chair, I dicover'd that it was till further towards the Ground: Upon that, I turn'd the Chair's Bottom upwards, but heard no Beatings for a coniderable time after; at length, they began again, and, as I cat a diligent Eye over the Bottom of the Chair, I happen'd, at lat, to hit luckily upon the Place where the Inect was beating; o that it dicover'd itelf to me by its own Pulations. I was very much pleas'd with the Dicovery, and not only tood viewing it beat for ome time, but alo afterwards call'd up others to ee it beat, which they did, and that, not without Admiration. The Manner of its Beating was thus.

It lifted up itelf upon its hinder Legs, and omewhat extending, or rather inclining its Neck, beat down its Face upon the Sedge, with great Force and Agility; the Sedge, upon which I found it, was bared of its outward Coat, for about the Length of half an Inch; the Inect tood upon the inward bulbous Part, and beat upon the outward Coat; as if it had been working it off as it went; the Impreions of its Strokes were very viible, the Coat of the Sedge being depres'd, where it had beaten, for about the Compas of a ilver Penny; whether it beat for Exercie, or Food ake, I cannot certainly ay; but very probably it might be for the latter; and I am rather inclin'd to think o, becaue there were more than one uch Places upon the Sedge, where it had been at work, and where, 'tis likely, it might have been a Sojourner for ome Days. A