69 
KARWIGS. 
Common Earwig. Forficula auricularia, Linn. 
1, ForFIcULA AURICULARIA; 2, F’. ForcIpATA; 3, wing of I’. auricularia: 
all magnified. 
Karwigs are amongst our regular summer pests, and in some years 
(as in 1886) they do serious damage to field crops, in addition to their 
garden depredations, and also to the annoyance they cause by their 
intrusion into dwelling-houses after sunset, and establishing them- 
selves in food, clothing, beds, or wherever there may be a dark and 
comfortable locality. 
But common as the creatures are, their method of life (indepen- 
dently of their troublesome and mischievous habits) is not as generally 
known as could be wished, and is so frequently asked about, that a 
few notes of it may be of interest. 
The past summer was an especially bad season for prevalence of 
HKarwigs in various districts, and besides complaints of them as garden 
pests, they were reported during July by various correspondents as 
doing serious mischief to their Mangolds, young Swedes, and Turnips, 
and also to leafage of Hops; likewise, in one case, an infestation to 
Apple trees was reported, pointing much more to damage to the late 
Apple-blossom than to any beneficial work done as insect killers. 
By July 6th Earwig presence had become go noticeable that 
attention was drawn to it, as well as to a method of collecting the 
creatures, in the article on ‘‘ Agriculture”’ in ‘ The Times’ newspaper 
of Monday of the above date, as follows :— 
‘‘ Harwigs are usually troublesome in gardens rather than amongst 
field crops, but they have lately been doing considerable mischief upon 
farms in the counties of Oxford and Wilts. In the latter county they 
have destroyed young Swedes on an extensive scale; apparently taking 
