176 THE FORFICULINA. 



the base of the wing, take their rise from the tip of a 

 somewhat horny plate, which occupies about one- 

 third of the anterior margin of the wing. At some 

 little distance from their origin, the spaces between 

 these veins are again divided by a series of short 

 veins, which run to the edge of the wing; all the 

 veins are united by another delicate vein running 

 parallel to the outer margin of the wing at a short 

 distance from it, and the extreme base of the wing is 

 occupied by some irregular cells. By means of the 

 radiating veins the whole of the apical and posterior 

 portions of the wing fold up like a fan, which is then 

 doubled up under the horny margin of the base of 

 the wing, the fan-like portion being capable of a 

 transverse fold near the basal terminations of the 

 secondary veins, at a point where these and some of 

 the other veins are curved and slightly thickened. 

 When thus packed away, the tip of the horny plate of 

 the anterior margin of the wing projects more or less 

 beyond the elytra, but the membranous portions are 

 entirely concealed*. In folding up these complicated 

 organs, the Earwigs employ their flexible abdomen 

 much in the same way as the Brachelytrous Beetles ; 

 but as most of them are nocturnal in their habits, 

 and even exhibit an apparent reluctance to make use 

 of their wings during the day, they are rarely seen 

 flying. One abundant little species (Labia minor), 



* From the peculiarities of the characters of the Earwig, 

 which differ in many respects from all other insects, it has been 

 proposed by some authors to separate them from the Orthoptera 

 as a distinct order. To this Dr. Leach gave the name of Der- 

 maptera, for which Mr. Westwood has proposed to substitute 

 the more appropriate appellation of Euplexoptera, in allusion to 

 the complex folding of the wings above described. 



