22 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



hitherto met with, creeping upon the mossy trunk of 

 an oak, which, besides, was entwined with honey- 

 suckle, and near the bottom a fern plant was rooted 

 among" the decaying bark. This insect much resem- 

 bled the female glow-worm in external appearance, 

 but it was considerably longer, and the colours were 

 different. Its head, though small, was formed like 

 those of the grubs of predaceous beetles, whence I 

 conjectured it might belong to some of their nume- 

 rous families ; but lest I might be deceived in this, 

 and that after all it might be a vegetable feeder, I 

 put some of the oak bark, moss, fern, and honey- 

 suckle, along with it into a collecting box. Into the 

 same box I afterwards put several specimens of small 

 snails, with pellucid shells, which I found in the same 

 locality a circumstance which led me to the disco- 

 very of one of those facts that, after eluding direct 

 research, are often the result of accident. 



" It was not till next day that I looked into the 

 box, when I perceived that none of the vegetable 

 substances had been touched, for the snails had 

 glued themselves to the lid, according to their usual 

 custom when put into a dry place ; and though the 

 little stranger was sufficiently lively, and walked 

 about in all directions, nothing within reach appeared 

 to suit its taste. After watching it for some time, 

 my attention was drawn to some very singular move- 

 merits which it made with its tail, and which the 

 reader will understand better if he has observed how 

 the common earwig, or the insect popularly called the 

 devil's coach-horse (Goerius ole?is, STEPHENS), bends 

 up its tail over its back, somewhat in the manner of a 

 spaniel when it trips along well pleased before its 

 master. The forked tail of the earwig, however, as 

 well as that of the Goerius, is said to be used in 

 assisting to unfold its long and closely-folded wings, 



