CRICKETS AND EARWIGS 163 



expanded and encroached as to constitute almost the 

 whole wing. 



The wing readily closes of its own accord at the 

 transverse bends, in virtue of its own elasticity; but 

 obviously this must be overcome in opening by some 

 external force, and it is just here that the forceps at 

 the end of the body come in usefully. The earwig is 

 said to use its forceps to aid the operation, turning them 

 over its back to do so. There is great difficulty in 

 verifying this statement, owing to the nocturnal habits 

 of the creature, and its general disinclination to use its 

 wings. If the wings are opened artificially, the earwig 

 will often go for hours without closing them, and then 

 when it finally does so, probably the experimenter is 

 absent. It is said also to use the forceps in closing the 

 wings, though from the nature of things it would seem 

 that they would be less required then. There are some 

 foreign species whose forceps are as long as the body, 

 and it is difficult to see how these can make such a use 

 of their exaggerated tail appendages. The forceps are 

 of course weapons of offence and defence as well, and 

 are probably quite as effectual by giving a terrifying 

 appearance to the insect as by being actually used for 

 pinching. 



The earwig is one of those insects whose meta- 

 morphosis is incomplete, like the cockroach and cricket. 

 The eggs are little, oval, yellow things ; they may some- 

 times be found under stones, &c. De Geer has left an 

 account of a mother earwig which he found with a 

 batch of eggs, which implies that these insects, contrary 

 to the general practice, show maternal solicitude. He 

 placed the eggs in a jar, scattering them over the 

 surface of some earth it contained, and then put the 

 mother in. She immediately set to work picking up 



