EUPLEXOPTERA. — FORFICULID^E. 403 



wax would soon induce them to make their retreat ; and, at all events, 

 they could never get farther than the drum, which completely closes 

 the passage to the brain. (Ins. Trans, p. 103.) During the day, they 

 cree}:) into all kinds of crevices*, coming abroad and feeding by night; 

 at which time only they willingly expand their wings. They devour 

 the corollas of flowers, especially rendering the dahlias unsightly; 

 they also feed upon ripe and decayed fruits and other vegetable 

 substances. 



Sometimes they occur in immense profusion ; of which an instance 

 is recorded in the Historical Chronicle of the Geiitlemari s Magazine 

 for 1755, under the head of Stroud (Hones Every Day Book, vol. ii. 

 p. 1099.), when they destroyed not only flowers and fruits, but even 

 cabbages. 



They do not appear to be naturally carnivorous ; though, if kept 

 without their ordinary nourishment, they will occasionally attack and 

 devour their own species, f 



Thus, De Geer records that the young ones observed by him de- 

 voured the dead body of their mother, as well as such of their 

 brethren as happened to die. Mr. Kirby (Trans. Linn. Sac. vol. iii. 

 p. 248.) also noticed, in a few instances, Forficula auricularia upon 

 ears of wheat infested by Thrips, and inquires whether it does not 

 devour them ? Mr. Gorrie also states that the earwig destroys the 

 larvae of Cecidomyia Tritici, three of which he successively presented 

 to an earwig, which devoured them immediately. (Loudons Mag. 

 N. H. Nov. 1829.) 



In the Field Naturalist, p. 131., there is a short note, in which the 

 objection of the earwig to make use of its wings, in order to escape 

 from a piece of floating cork, is shown ; and in which it is further 

 stated, as a proof of their flying by night, and occasionally in swarms, 

 that in a small space, of 18 inches square, upon palings fresh coated 



* They are fond of crawling into the attenuated spur of the nasturtium as far as 

 they can penetrate, leaving the abdomen sticking up amongst the pistils and stamens. 

 It is owing to this liabit that the florists stick up lobsters' claws amongst their flowers 

 into which the insects creep, and are easily destroyed. In the Horticultural Gardens 

 at Chiswick, bits of reed with the ends plugged up, leaving only a small entrance, 

 are hung about the wall-fruit trees for the like purpose. MoufTet tells us of the 

 "ox-hoofs, hogs' hoofs, or old cast things," used as traps for them by the English 

 women, " who hate them exceedingly, because of clove gilliflowers that they eat and 

 spoyl." (Theatr.Ins. p. 172.) 



f I kept two females alive in a little box together for a very long time, without 

 food ; but they did not attack each other. 



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