THE COMMON EARWIG. 



480 



in a little while to deprive them entirely of their verdure. They 

 always prefer the young trees to old oaes. When collected in great 

 numbers their odor becomes very disagreeable, and is perceptible 

 even to a considerable distance. 



In order to collect these insects, a cloth is extended round the foot 

 of the tree, and they are shaken upon it. They are then taken up, 

 tied in a bag, and killed with the vapors of hot vinegar. After thia 

 they are dried in the sun, and placed in boxes for use. The fresher 

 the insects are, the more stimulating is the action of their blistering 

 properties. It is consequently necessary to collect them as shortly 

 as possible after they have attained their perfect state. 



OF THE FORFICULA, OR EARWIG TRIBE. 



In this tribe the antennas are bristle-shaped; and the feelers 

 unequal and thread shaped. The wing-cases are half the length of 

 the abdomen, and have the wings folded up under them, somewhat 

 in the manner of a fan. The tail is armed with a forceps. 



The Earwigs undergo only a semi -metamorphosis, diflfering in 

 external appearance very little in the three states 



THE COMMON EARWIG. 



It may not perhaps be generally known that the Earwig poasessea 

 wings which are both large and elegant, 

 and that one of these, when extended, 

 will cover nearly the whole insect. The 

 elytra or wing-cases, are short, and extend 

 not along the whole body, but only over 

 the breast. The wings are concealed 

 oeneath these, and are somewhat of an 

 oval shape. There is great elegance in 

 the manner in which the insect folds 

 them beneath its elytra. They are first 

 closed up lengthways from a centre close ^^^ barwio 



to the body, like a fan; and afterwards 



ref<:)lded across in two different places, one about the middle of the 

 membrane, and the other at the centre, from which the first folds 

 proceeded. By this means the wing is reduced into a small compass, 

 and proportioned to the size of the case under which it is to lie. 



It is a circumstance extremely singular, that, unlike those of most 

 others of the insect tribe, the eggs are hatched and the young Ear- 

 wigs are fostered by the parent. At the beginning of the month of 

 June, M. de Geer found under a stone a female Earwig, accompanied 

 by many little insects, which evidently appeared to be her own 

 young. They continued close to her, and often placed themselves 

 under her belly, as chickens do under a hen. He put the whole into 



