BRITISH ORTHOPTKRA IN 1912. 



43 



no wing-tips visible, while the wings themselves were either 

 deformed or damaged.* L. riparia feeds readily after dark on 

 raw beef, but in the daytime each one remains still in the 

 darkest corner of the box. This clearly points to its being a 

 nocturnal insect. 



On August 31st we again found four specimens — a fine 

 female, a small nymph, and two males. One male had the 

 left branch of the callipers considerably shorter than the right 

 one (fig. 2). It was killed on September 1st and mounted. 



(x5) 



These insects are often noticed cleaning themselves assiduously, 

 and they sometimes rub their body with their legs as if they 

 were trying to allay irritation. If a little water is put in their 

 box they go to it, and appear to drink it greedily. In the even- 

 ing they will stand on " tip-toe " as it were, quite still for a long 

 time in the bright light under a table-lamp, whereas in the day- 

 time they like to hide away out of the light as much as possible. 

 On leaving the New Forest early in September two males 

 (caught August 26th and 31st) and a nymph (caught August 

 26th) were taken alive to Kingston-on-Thames. The nymph 

 died on January 3rd, 1913, but the two males are alive at the 

 time of writing.t Though they drink readily, they seldom now 

 seem to wish to eat. It seems likely that, as Bournemouth 

 extends, these earwigs may become extinct in that district in the 

 near future, and at present we know of no other British locality. 

 At Eastnor, in Herefordshire, a specimen of Labia minor was 

 taken on May 20th, as it settled (0. Whittaker) ; and Mr. J. R. 

 le B. Tomlin had a male given to him, which was taken at Stoke 

 Edith, in Herefordshire, in September. In the middle of May 



■■'• The male taken on August 20th had but one visible wing-tip. 

 f The male (caught August 31st) died about January 6th, 1913. 



K 2 



