42, EARWIGS. 
to be Forficula minor, L. Struck with the circumstance, he watched 
them several evenings, and on one of these, as he was looking about a 
melon-pit for insects, he saw these little creatures alight on the frame, 
hastily fold up their wings, and entering under the glasses, run down 
its sides and bury themselves in the loose earth. This he observed 
repeatedly in September. 
As yet no notes have been sent, nor have I been able to find any 
record of this kind being generally injurious; but their capacity for 
coming in the swarms mentioned, and clearing off young plants in 
frames, would make it desirable for garden service to have further 
information of the habits of this kind, and also of means of prevention. 
Harwigs (speaking of the habits of our various kinds together) 
multiply by laying a number of eggs in a cluster, which it is con- 
sidered the mother insect watches over with great care, unless from 
some exceptional circumstance she varies the state of affairs by eating 
them. The young HKarwigs hatch out of the eggs resembling their 
parents in shape, but without wings or wing-cases,—when the moult 
to the pupal state occurs, the wing-cases are to be found; and in the 
case of the Lesser Harwig when the moult to the complete state 
occurs, it may be known by its comparatively small size, and also by 
the great amount of projection of the folded wings from beneath the 
wing-cases. Still, our common kinds of Earwigs look so very much 
alike, unless examined with the help of a magnifier, that it is very 
likely this ‘‘ Lesser Harwig’’ may often be looked on as the young of 
the ‘‘common” kind, and may be doing special mischief that might 
be prevented. 
So far as observations go, attention to the surface of manure-heaps 
when of a material or in a condition for egg deposit would be desirable. 
A little gas-lime sprinkled very thinly over the surface, or gas-water, 
diluted with about four times the quantity of common water, would do 
good rather than harm to the manure, and be a great deterrent of 
egg-laying, also might kill any young and tender HKarwigs hatching 
out within reach of the application. . 
The applications tried by Mr. Hutchison’s gardener as deterrents 
in the frames, such as Keating’s powder, carbolic powder, and even 
quick-lime, were reported to do no good; but possibly fumigating with 
tobacco might be beneficial. Also where the method of arrival of this 
small kind of EKarwig has been recorded, it has not been by flying in, 
but by alighting on the frames, and folding up their wings, and then 
entering under the glasses. Under these circumstances it would seem 
as if something greasy or sticky might prevent the creatures making 
their way onwards. If cart-grease was smeared along the top e’ge of 
the outside of the frame and anywhere that it could be serviceably 
spread without annoyance to the gardeners in moving the lights, it 
