THOSE HORRID EARWIGS 127 



Now, these two faithful portraits represent the 

 earwig as we all best know him the common 

 or garden earwig, engaged in crawling about 

 during the hours of sunshine, and seeking some 

 cranny where he may hide himself from the 

 light that irks and distresses him. But there is 

 another side to earwig life which in all proba- 

 bility you have never suspected. While day lasts 

 the earwig shelters himself underground, or lies 

 hid beneath stones or in the crevices of bark. 

 But when night arrives, oh, then he sallies forth, 

 on love and feasts inclined ; he seeks his dusky 

 mate, or battens on pink rose-petals. Then is 

 the time to see him flying abroad on expanded 

 wings ; and then is the time when he really 

 enjoys existence, till some late-flying swallow or 

 prowling bat puts an end to his brief revels. 



" But I never knew earwigs flew ! " you ex- 

 claim. " I never thought they had wings. Those 

 I have seen were always creeping and crawling." 



That is quite true ; and in this matter I will 

 not deceive you. The common earwig does really 

 fly ; but he is an infrequent aeronaut. Indeed, 

 I believe he seldom uses his wings except when 

 he is courting or changing his residence. How- 

 ever, there is a smaller species of earwig, not 

 minutely discriminated from the common sort by 

 housewives and gardeners (who kill all the race 

 impartially), but known to entomologists as Labia 

 minor. This lesser member of the tribe may often 

 be seen disporting himself on the wing on warm 

 afternoons in summer; and even the larger ear- 



