HATCHING OF EGGS. 



103 



cast their skins, as caterpillars do, more than once. 

 The mother did not live long, probably in consequence 

 of confinement; and her progeny devoured nearly the 

 whole of her body, as they also did the bodies of their 

 brethren, when any of these chanced to die. We 

 may remark, in passing, that it is an unfounded popular 

 prejudice that earwigs get into the brain by creeping 

 into the ear ; for though, from being night insects, 

 and disliking exposure to the light, they may, by 

 chance, attempt to take shelter in the ear, the dis- 

 agreeable odour of the wax will soon drive them out: 

 at all events they could never get farther than the 

 drum, which completely shuts the passage to the brain. 

 We have known, indeed, a small beetle, get into the 

 ear; but it did no further injury than produce a 

 strange tingling sensation by crawling about the 

 drum, and soon made its exit.* A little red insect 

 (the harvest bug.^) sometimes gets into the ear in 

 bed, and produces wonderful commotion, but no real 

 injury. 



Drum of the ear, showing that there is no passage through it to 

 the brain. 



Kirby and Spence are inclined to infer that a tree 

 bug {Acanthosoma f^iiaea, Stephens) may also sit 



J. R. 



