52 



PSYCHE 



had. (b) The use of the forceps offensively may have been less important, but 

 was scarcely less evident. I have often seen large earwigs in confinement chase 

 and catch with their forceps crickets, sand-fleas, and even smaller earwigs, which 

 they then proceeded to eat. When a victim was once caught, generally no 

 amount of struggling freed it again from the powerful grasp of the forceps. When 

 the victim continued to struggle for some time, the earwig which had caught it 

 would, as I have often noticed, curve its own body sidewise until it took the shape 

 of the letter U and its mouth could be brought into contact with its prey. Then 

 the earwig would proceed to eat the living food it was holding. I have also seen 

 earwigs clutch their victims in their forceps and drag them about from place to 

 place. The deliberate manner in which some earwigs in confinement have chased 



TxftUve ?.. 



and caught their prey, while I was observing them, convinces me that in their 

 native state also they must at times use their forceps offensively, yet their progress 

 seemed to be too slow to allow them to catch uninjured crickets or sand-fleas in 

 the'open. The earwigs which I watched would, when hunting, walk forward until 

 their antennae touched a desirable object ; then, with wonderful speed, they would 

 swing the abdomen sidewise at a very sharp angle until the forceps were where the 

 antennae had been, when they would instantaneously snap the prey if it had not 

 escaped. If it had, the earwig, with scarcely a moment's delay, would continue its 

 expedition, (c) Earwigs also use their forceps in mating. Although these forceps 

 are so strong, they are yet very sensitive. One earwig can hardly touch with its 

 antennae the forceps of another without the second one immediately knowing it. 

 When mating, the two earwigs, after having locnted each other, approach each other 



