EARWIGS. -43 



We found an earwig's nest in January. There 

 were about a dozen nests just near a damp log 

 sheltered by grass. We lifted the grass up, and 

 saw the nests on the damp ground. In one nest 

 there was a father-earwig with curved pincers, and 

 mother-earwig with straight pincers, and small ear- 

 wigs in various stages of development. Some tiny 

 ones were quite white, others had the abdomen 

 brown, while head and thorax Avere white. Others 

 had head and thorax white, while tail-part only v/as 

 brown. Eggs were present in the nests, and when 

 we disturbed them, the mother and father seized 

 some of the eggs, and tried to get away with them. 

 They moved them to a new spot some 6 inches 

 away and in about 15 minutes had removed all the 

 eggs. We covered them over with grass and left 

 them in peace. There was a cluster of Nasturtiums 

 growing near the log and we found earwigs in nearly 

 every flower as many as three being in one flower. 

 They did not seem to be eating, but just resting. 



Observations on Earwigs. 



On disturbing some decaying boards which had 

 been lying on damp earth for some time several 

 nests of earwigs were observed in little hollows 

 made in the rotting timber. The nests were in 

 hollows of about an inch long and from I to i 

 inch in width. On lifting the upper board (there 

 were 3 superimposed boards), a nest was observed 

 with dozens of tiny white eggs about the size of 

 a small pin's head. The mother earwig at once 

 rushed above the eggs and showed great concern. 



