FLY WEEVIL AND EARWIG 



189 



The wings, such as they are, of the female Lipoptena 

 cervi (fig. 24), have given me some good figures. There is 

 demonstrably at times a mere abortive wing, but whether 

 sometimes there has not been a developed wing which 

 has been torn across so that only about an eighth of 

 the wing remains, seems to me open to doubt. Also the 

 Lesser earwig, Labia minor, has been locally a little 

 troublesome. Altogether there have been a good many 

 rather nice observations sent in, which I hope may 

 presently be of some interest to you. Pray accept my 

 sincere thanks for the enormous benefit I receive from the 



i, Male ; 2, female with wings expanded, much magnified ; line 

 showing natural length of body and forceps. 



FIG. 43. LESSER EARWIG, FORFICULA MINOR, LINN., LABIA MINOR, LEACH. 



valuable publications so kindly sent me, and believe me with 

 most hearty good wishes, &c. 



April 7, 1898. 



Your letter of approval was a very great pleasure to me, 

 and I greatly value your words of encouragement. Before 

 this letter reaches you, you will perhaps have received a visit 

 from Dr. Ritzema Bos, who gave me the pleasure of a visit 

 on his way to the U.S.A. to investigate the amount of danger 

 to be feared in Holland from this A. perniciosus (San Jose 

 scale). From what I gather from the different publications 

 with which I am most liberally supplied from your own head- 

 quarters and the experimental stations, I hope that we need 

 not fear this veritable pest making a settlement here. I 



