HATCHING OK EGGS. 103 



tt>€y grew from day to day, and 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 dis- 

 liking exposure to the light, they may, by chance, 

 attempt to take shelter in the ear, the disagreeable 

 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 ' •'* no real 

 injury. 



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

 the brain. 



Kirby and Spence are inclined to infer that a tree- 

 bug {Acanthosoma grlsca, Stephens) may also sit 

 ♦ J. R. 



