overs; and, fourth, by
rubbing together the upper surface of the front edge of the
wings and the under surface of the wing covers. The insects
which employ the fourth method also stridulate during night.

The first method is used by the crickets, the second by the
green or long-legged grasshoppers, the third and fourth by
certain kinds of short-horned or jumping grasshoppers.
Butterflies have been heard to utter a loud click, and the
same is true of many beetles; while the cicada, or
seventeen-year locust, utters a most remarkable note or
series of sounds.

Spiders have often been heard to utter sounds. John
Burroughs says in his "Pepacton," that one sunny April day
his attention was attracted by a soft, uncertain, purring
sound made by little spiders that were running over the dry
leaves.

LUCKLESS SPY WHO SWALLOWED A BULLET.

A MESSAGE STRANGELY CONCEALED.

Alertness of Governor Clinton's Men Defeated
the Stratagem of a British
Courier on His Way to Burgoyne.

One of the strangest incidents of the American Revolution is the story of
a silver bullet.

The year was 1777. Burgoyne, pushing down from the north, was expecting to
effect a junction with Sir Henry Clinton at Albany. The field of Saratoga
was still before him. Clinton was pressing up the Hudson Valley from New
York. After taking Fort Montgomery, in the Highlands, he sent a letter to
Burgoyne with news of his movements.

As the message had to pass through the American lines, the letter was
enclosed in a silver bullet, coated with lead, and the spy who carried it
placed it in his pocket with a few real bullets.

In Dutchess County the spy was captured. His captors found nothing
incriminating, and were about to release him, when one of them happened on
the bullets, and noticed that one bullet was lighter than the others.

"Why," he exclaimed, "this can never be a bullet; it is too light!"

At this moment the spy snatched the bullet and swallowed it. The incident
was promptly reported to Governor George Clinton, commander of the
Revolutionary force, and by his direction a surgeon recovered the bullet.
In it was found Sir Henry Clinton's letter, which read as follows:

FORT MONTGOMERY, OCTOBER 8, 1777.

_Nous voici_, and nothing between us but _Gates_. I
sincerely hope this little success of ours may facilitate
your operations. In answer to your letter of 28th Septem