I20 First Report on Economic Zoology. 



seldom flies. A smallei' species, Lohia iiiinor, uses its wings much more 

 freely. The food of earwigs is very Aaried, they are both carnivorous 

 and herbivorous ; hops, fruit, snails, slugs, flowers, leaves, etc., fonii 

 their bill oi fire as a rule. 



" Tliey are mostly nocturnal in liabits, hiding away duiing the day 

 in cre\ices in walls, woodwork, etc., under the baik of trees, under 

 clods of earth, and any shelter upon the ground. They lay their eggs 

 in a hole in the ground, about twenty to thirty yellowish ova being 

 placed together. Some authorities say the female looks after these 

 eggs and tlie young for some time. They take from two to four 

 weeks to incubate. The young are at first very pallid and wingless, 

 but after several moults they reach the mature winged form. The 

 winter is passed in the adult stage, the insects hibernating under the 

 bark of trees, beneath rubbish, etc. Tliey become noticeable in the 

 latter part of the summer, especially in August, l)ut may l>e found 

 much sooner. The small Earwig {Lithia miiwr) flies in the day-time 

 as well as at night. 



" With regard to their destruction, 'trapping' is the most successful 

 method. Place some baskets filled with straw or dry moss under the 

 windows and some flower pots filled with moss on the window sills. 

 These should be examined in the day-time and the insects collected 

 and destroyed. I do not think you could employ any chemical, as 

 they get into so many places of a day-time ; but by ' trapping ' you 

 will get rid of the nuisance, especially if you put a plum or other 

 fruit in each pot." 



SUB-GEOUr B. 



Acarine Household Pests. 



{Gbjci'phcKjns domesticus and G. spinipcs). 



Several instances of acarine pests have been i-eported. Mr. 

 White WTites fr(jm liirmingham, " This mite is a veritalfle plague in 

 my house." It proved to l)e the Glyr.lphag as domesticus, De Geer 

 (the G. cursor of Ger\'ais). 



Another correspondent wrote from Walthamstow as follows : — 



" I have upholstered a suite for my firm which has been sent into 

 the country, and since it has been in the customer's possession it has 

 developed a small insect as sample sent on enclosed piece of banding 

 . . . my firm seem to think I have been using dirty material, but it. 

 is nothing of the kind." 



The mites sent were identified by Albert Michael, Esq., as 



