A BEAUTIFUL CHARACTER 271 



silken lasso, .which the earwig cleverly avoided, 

 and soon it became evident that there was to be 

 a wrestling match under catch-as-catch-can rules. 

 The end came with lightning speed. While the 

 spider was still making pretty prancing motions, 

 the earwig rushed in, seized him in a half-Nelson 

 clasp, and, doubling up his own abdominal region, 

 scorpion fashion, administered three swift and 

 deadly crunches with his anal pincers, and it was 

 all over. 



As I am easily discouraged this display of 

 ferocity on the part of my pet brought my taming 

 experiment to .an end. To another, as Don Quixote 

 says, is reserved this great achievement, though 

 I dare say I can claim to be the first since Adam 

 to try if the thing could be done. Nor was the 

 experiment altogether without results, since it 

 proved that the earwig's pincers are not, as some 

 naturalists allege, mere ornamental terrifiers, but 

 genuine and even formidable weapons of offence. 



If any one wants to go in for earwig-taming, 

 now is the time. Lion -taming is sort of played 

 out, and besides lions are not easily got. With 

 earwigs it is otherwise. Take the bark off any 

 paling post at this season, and you may capture 

 a score. Shake a sunflower and out they will 

 drop by the half-dozen. Above all, look in un- 

 protected dahlias, and you will find the game 

 abundant and strong on foot. For the earwig is 

 as dainty a feeder as the object of a poet's vision. 

 As long as he can get flowers he will have nothing 

 else. In his own way he is a downright aesthete. 



It will no doubt be said that the earwig is a 



