EARWIG. 
Ill 
s'aiy to confute the commonly received opinion 
that the Earwig is an impennous insect.” > 
■ Tlie female Earwig deposits her eggs, which 
are rather large for the size of the animal, of a 
white colour, and of an oval shape, under stones 
or in any damp situation, where they may be 
secure from too much heat or drought. From 
these eggs are hatched the young larvae, which 
are at first very small, but have very much tlie 
general aspect of the parent animal, except that 
they are of a white or whitish colour, and that 
the limbs of the forceps at the tip of the abdomen 
are not yet curved inwards. The parent insect, 
according to the observations of Degeer, guards, 
and broods over her young nearly in the same 
manner as a hen does over her chickens; and 
they generally remain close to the sides, or under 
the abdomen of the parent for several hours in 
the day. They change their skin at certain inter- 
vals during the earlier stages of their growth; and 
after each change acquire a darker colour and a 
greater degree of resemblance to the full-grown 
insect; till at length the wing-sheaths and wings 
are formed, and the animals may be considered as 
perfect. 
The usual food of the earwig consists of decayed 
fruit, and other vegetable substances, and it does 
not seem to be naturally carnivorous, though, if 
kept without proper nourishment, it will, likh 
many other animals, occasionally attack and de- 
vour even its own species. . 
