558 



INSECTA. 



the tonguelet is furcate ; the thorax is plate-like. The second joint of the tarsi is simply dilated 

 beneath, near the tip, or in form of a reversed heart, and not notched. These insects have been very 

 carefully investigated in respect to their internal anatomy, by Messrs. Ramdohr, Posselet, Marcel rte 

 Serres, and especially by Leon Dufour, in the Annates des Sci. Nat., vol. xiii. From their anatomical 

 characters they appear to L. Dufour to constitute a distinct order, which he names Labidoures. 

 Mr. Kirby had also previously proposed the name of Dermaptera for them as an order. * 



These insects are very common in damp situations, where they often assemble in troops under 

 stones, and the bark of trees ; they do much injury to the fruits of our gardens, [devouring also the 

 petals of flowers], as well as the bodies of their dead companions, defending themselves with their 

 forceps, of which the form varies according to the sex. It is a vulgar notion that they creep into the 

 ear of sleeping persons ; this, however, is the origin of their French name, Perce-oreille [English name, 

 Earwig; German name, Ohrwurm, &c] 



[The species has been distributed into a considerable number of subgenera by Leach, Serville, and Burmeister.] 

 Latreille divides them, in a note, into 

 l'orficula proper, which has not more than 14 joints to the antennae. 



Forfinrfa auricularia, is more than half-an-inch long, brown, shiny, with a reddish head, the 

 sides of the thorax grey, and the feet yellow-ochre coloured. The female guards her eggs with 

 much care, as well as her young, for a considerable time. 



Forflcula minor (the small Earwig), is much smaller, and has 11- or 12-jointed antennae ; it 

 forms Leach's genus Labia. 



Forfiresila, Latr., has more than 14 joints to the antennae. [F. gigantea, the type of Leach's 

 genus Labidura, with 30 joints to the antennae.] 

 Chelidwra, Latr., is wingless. 



Fig. 87, 



auhcul.'iria 



Forficula 



The second genus, that of 



Blatta, Linn., 



Has five joints to all the tarsi ; the wings are only folded longitudinally ; the head 



hidden beneath the large plate of the prothorax, and the body is orbicular, or oval, and flattened. 



The antenna; are filiform, inserted in an inner notch of the eyes, long, and composed of a very great 

 number of joints ; the palpi are long; the prothorax shield-like; the wing-covers are ordinarily as 

 long as the abdomen, coriaceous or semimembranous, and crossing each other slightly at the suture. 

 The posterior extremity of the abdomen presents two conical and articulated appendages ; the tibiae 

 are very spinose. 



The Blattre [or Cockroaches] are nocturnal insects, exceedingly active, some living in the interior 

 of our houses, especially kitchens, bake-houses, and corn-mills. Others are found in the country. 

 Thev are very voracious, consuming all kinds of provisions. The species found in the French colonies 

 are there termed Kakerlacs, and greatly annoy the inhabitants by the mischief they commit, attacking 

 not only eatables, but gnawing also woollen and silk materials, and even shoes ; they will also eat 

 other insects. Some species of Sphex make war 

 upon them. 



[The species are very numerous, and have lately been 

 formed into a considerable number of genera by Serville 

 and Burmeister ; Latreille, however, retained them under 

 the single genus Blatta.] 



Blatta orientalis [the common Cockroach] is an inch 

 long; the male is furnished with wings shorter than the 

 abdomen ; the female has only short rudiments. The 

 eggs, 16 in number, are symmetrically arranged in an 

 oval compressed case, which is at first white, but subse- 

 quently brown and solid, denticulated on one side ; the 

 female carries it about with her for some time at the 

 extremity of the body ; she then attaches it to various 

 substances by means of a gummy secretion. This species 

 is a scourge both to the inhabitants of Russia and Fin- 

 land. It has been supposed to have come from South 

 America, whilst others give Asia as its native country. 



Fig. 88 — Blatta orieutalia, male and female. 



* Dr. Leach divided the other Orthoptcra into two other orders. 

 Those with the wings folded longitudinally, and with the wing covers 

 meeting in a straight line, were his Orthoptera ; and those with the 



elytra crossing each other, and the wings similarly placed, form his 

 order Dictyoptcra {Blatta^. 



