THE EARWIG. 209 



Secret wings How produced. 



whole insect. The elytra, or wing cases, are 

 short, and extend not along the whole body but 

 only over the breast. The wings are concealed 

 beneath these ; they are somewhat of an oval 

 shape, and, when extended, nine or ten times as 

 Jarge as the elytra. There is a great degree of 

 elegance in the manner in which the insect folds 

 them beneath. They are first closed up length- 

 ways from a centre close to the body like a fan, 

 and afterwards refolded across in two different 

 places, one about the middle of the membrane, 

 and the other at the centre, from whence the 

 first folds proceeded. By this means the wing is 

 reduced into a small compass, and proportioned 

 to the size of the case under which it is to lie. 



The common earwig is easily distinguishable 

 from all the beetles by the forceps or pincers at 

 the end of its tai.1. It is produced from an egg, 

 and the larva differs very little in its external 

 appearance from the complete insect, except 

 that it has neither wings nor elytra, and that the 

 breast and thorax are not distinguishable. In 

 this state it is a very lively little animal, running 

 about with great agility, even from the instant it 

 leaves the egg. On its metamorphosis to a per- 

 fect insect, a part of its body bursts behind, and 

 gives full play to the wings. 



It is a circumstance extremely singular, that, 

 unlike those of most others of th^ insect tribe, 

 the eggs are hatched, and the young earwigs fos- 

 tered by the parent. M. de Geer found under a 



VOL. vi. NO. 43. 20 



