THE EARWIG. 



211 



Does considerable damage to gardens. 



one place upon the surface of the earth, and re- 

 mained constantly on the heap, without quitting 

 it for a moment, so that she seemed truly to sit 

 for the purpose of hatching her eggs. The 

 young were produced in about five weeks : in 

 figure they were similar to those before mention- 



O .' 



ed, but at their birth they were all white except 

 towards the tail, where a yellow matter was ob- 

 servable through the skin, and the eyes and 

 teeth, which were reddish. He kept them in 

 the box with their mother, feeding them from 

 time to time with bits of apple, and saw them 

 grow every day, and change their skins more 

 than once. The mother died, and her progeny 

 devoured nearly the whole of her body. The 

 little ones that died underwent also the same fate : 

 M. de Geer, however, conjectures that this took 

 place only from want of other food, as he had 

 neglected to supply them regularly with nutri- 

 ment. In two months time, one only remained 

 alive; it was full grown, and then in the nymph 

 or pupa state. 



This insect does great damage to gardens. 

 It lives among flowers, and frequently destroys 

 them; and, when fruit has been wounded by 

 flies, the earwigs also generally come in for a 

 share. In the night they may often be seen in 

 amazing numbers upon lettuces and other escu- 

 lent vegetables, committing those depredations 

 thut are often ascribed to snails or slugs. The 

 best mode, therefore of destroying them seems 



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