ANECDOTE OF AN EARWIG. 75 



my study, placing them upon fresh earth under a 

 bell glass. The careful mother soon scooped out 

 a fresh cell, and collected the scattered eggs with 

 great care to the little nest, placing herself over 

 them not so much, as it afterwards appeared, to 

 keep them warm, as to prevent the too rapid 

 evaporation of their moisture. When the earth 

 began to dry up, she dug the cell gradually deeper, 

 till at length she got almost out of view ; and 

 whenever the interior became too dry, she with- 

 drew the eggs from the cell altogether, and placed 

 them round the rim of the glass, where some of 

 the evaporated moisture had condensed. Upon 

 observing this, I dropped some water into the 

 abandoned cell, and the mother soon afterwards re- 

 placed her eggs there. When the water which had 

 been dropped had nearly evaporated, I moistened 

 the outside of the earth opposite the bottom of the 

 cell, and the mother, perceiving this, actually dug 

 a gallery right through to the spot where she found 

 the best supply of moisture. Having neglected to 

 moisten the earth for some days, it again became 

 dry, and there was none even round the rim of 

 the glass as before. Under these circumstances, 

 the mother earwig found a little remaining mois- 



