274 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Centipedes are nocturnal creatures, but Arthrono- 

 ■mains longicornis renders itself very conspicuous in 

 the dark by a peculiar power of giving out a phos- 

 phorescent light, almost as strong as that of the glow- 

 worm, in consequence of which it is liable to be 

 mistaken at night for that more legitimate lantern- 

 bearer. The luminous property is common to both 

 sexes. 



In writing of " Life under a Stone," we must not 

 confine ourselves to describing merely one or two of 

 the creatures seen in such localities. We have 

 spoken of woodlice, millepedes, and centipedes, 

 but our history would be incomplete did we not now 

 leave the subject of crustaceans and myriapods, and 

 devote ourselves to the consideration also of the 

 insects which may be found associating with them. 

 Foremost among these is that one of "Nature's fiat- 

 patterns," which of all others can adapt itself to the 

 tiniest crevice without risk of crushing a frame fear- 

 fully and wonderfully made. The earwig {Forficula 

 auricularia) is as common under stones as it is in 

 flower-beds, and though it cannot be denied that in 

 the latter place at least it is harmful, though it is 

 almost universally regarded with disfavour, not to 

 say disgust, yet its history presents points of interest 

 which the lover of Nature cannot choose but study. 

 The place of the earwig in natural history was for 

 long a vexed question, but, according to the latest 

 classification, a section of the Orthoptera has been 

 raised to the rank of a distinct order, called 

 Euplexoptera, on purpose for its reception. 



The appearance of this insect is too well-known 

 to need description, but its habits are not so familiar 

 to most people. Many are even ignorant of the fact 

 that it has wings, of which it makes use at night. The 

 structure of the wings is very beautiful, and the 

 manner in which they are folded under the short 

 elytra most curious. On alighting after a flight the 

 earwig proceds to stow away its wings, and this it 

 does most cleverly, using the formidable-looking 

 forceps at the end of its tail to facilitate the process 

 of packing. The wings are folded, unlike other 

 insects, both longitudinally and transversely ; they 

 are very large and membranous, and it has been 

 suggested that to their shape, which somewhat re- 

 sembles a human ear, the insect owes its name, the 

 word earwig being corrupted from " ear-wing." This 

 is much more probable than the ridiculous statement, 

 invented to account for the name, that the insect 

 enters the ear, and thence penetrates to the brain of 

 a person, causing madness. Any one with any know- 

 ledge of anatomy knows that even if an earwig got 

 into the ear, it would find no passage to the brain. 



The earwig is a vegetable feeder, and is apt to 

 choose the petals of flowers as its especial diet, hence 

 its destruction by gardeners. The female earwig lays 

 her eggs in a cavity in the ground beneath a stone, 

 and her care for her young is extraordinary, only 

 finding a parallel in that of a hen for her chickens. 



She watches over her eggs incessantly, collecting 

 them if scattered, and moving them about from place 

 to place in order to obtain for them a suitable degree 

 of moisture. Some naturalists assert that she 

 actually incubates her eggs by sitting on them, but 

 the - ] accuracy of this statement seems not to have 

 been conclusively proved. Even after the young are 

 hatched, the mother earwig remains a long time with 

 them, and does not cease to tend them until they are 

 able to shift for themselves. The young earwigs differ 

 slightly from the adult form in all the three succes- 

 sive stages of their development, but the differences 

 are not sufficiently striking to need description. 



Other insects there are, such as some beetles and 

 spiders, which are sometimes found under a stone, and 

 about these much that is interesting might be said, 

 but they are generally only casual visitors, and not 

 regular inhabitants of this retreat, therefore we need 

 not enter upon their history here. 



To those, however, who have been sufficiently in- 

 terested in what some may think a dull chapter in 

 natural history to wish to read farther in it, we may 

 offer the advice to go out into field and wood, and see 

 for themselves how much yet remains untold of " Life 



under a Stone." 



Lilian J. Gould. 



ABNORMAL GROWTHS ON FOREST 

 TREES. 



By Robert Coupar. 



THE forester in his daily walks through woods 

 and plantations meets with many curious 

 growths on the stems and branches, roots and other 

 parts of hardwood and coniferous trees. 



These consist of knots, swellings, cavities, en- 

 grafted trees and roots, as well as many other curious 

 growths. Queries are many times asked regarding 

 these growths, and great diversity of opinion exists 

 regarding them. I intend to offer a few remarks 

 respecting my ideas as to their cause and origin. 



First of these is the effect of the ivy and woodbine 

 upon tree stems. The ivy is a beautiful evergreen, 

 seen growing upon any old wall or ruin, and also 

 upon decaying trees or stumps ; but there is a limit 

 to which it should be grown upon young trees. In 

 its young state, when the tendrils are small, there is 

 not much damage done, but when the stem becomes 

 of considerable thickness, and the foliage begins to 

 cover the whole top and branches, then serious 

 results accrue therefrom. In young plantations 

 under thirty years of age, supposing that ivy is 

 permitted to grow on the trees and allowed ample 

 freedom, its growth is remarkable, and will soon 

 overtop the trees, sadly interrupting the breathing 

 organs, the leaves, as well as the bark, which 

 manufactures, so to speak, the wood. 



The natural habit of the ivy is to grow straight 



