CRICKETS AND EARWIGS 167 



this country, and so determined to skulk out of sight 

 in the daytime, squeezing themselves into most out-of- 

 the-way places, under stones, tiles, bark, leaves, or garden 

 rubbish of any kind, wherever there are but a few cubic 

 millimetres of breathing space, that it is next to impos- 

 sible to devise means which shall be very effectual in 

 reducing their numbers. 



Not only do they damage flowers, but, like wasps, they 

 are destructive to ripe fruit as well. De Geer fed some 

 of those he kept with chopped apples, which they eagerly 

 devoured. Windfalls from the fruit trees in orchards 

 are soon found out and excavated by earwigs, which 

 in the daytime curl themselves up in the hollows they 

 have made in the fruit, sticking close to their booty, 

 ready to fall to again as soon as the promptings of 

 hunger and the return of darkness combine to render 

 a banquet desirable and safe. Though, as a rule, 

 vegetarian in diet, yet they have no objection to eating 

 animal food if opportunity serves, and may even, when 

 hard pressed, resort to cannibalism ; but experiments 

 seem to indicate that they will be prepared to suffer 

 great extremities before falling back on such a practice. 

 They may be kept for a long time in numbers together, 

 without showing any disposition to attack one another, 

 even if the supply of food be scanty. They are not 

 often found indoors, but if accidentally introduced, 

 may sometimes do irretrievable damage. The entomo- 

 logist especially has to be on his guard against them. 

 If they do manage to gain access to his setting boards, 

 they have no hesitation in trying their jaws upon the 

 insects that may be stretched on them. The antenna 

 of dried insects, particularly of certain special kinds, 

 seem to be peculiarly delicate morsels, and the earwig 

 makes for them first. One collector records that a single 



