EARWIG AND SUN BEETLE 39 



never," and then most likely leave the whole plant 

 and fly to the next. 



Earwigs love to get into the bottom of a flower 

 among the honey-pots. They also eat the dainty 

 flower petals and spoil the blossoms, and this 

 makes the gardeners dislike Earwigs very much. 

 No one has a good word to say for Earwigs, but 

 the old story that they creep into people's ears 

 and send them mad is all nonsense. The Earwig 

 is so harmless that it can't even hurt you with its 

 nippers. 



Did you know that Earwigs had wings and can 

 fly? Look carefully at an Earwig and you will 

 see on its back two tiny horny wing-cases, each 

 the shape of an ear. 



Some people say that the proper name of the 

 " Earwig " is " Ear Wing," because of the shape 

 of the wing-cases. Under the wing-cases are two 

 large gauzy wings, tucked away in a marvellous 

 manner. When the Earwig settles after flying, 

 it turns its nippers over its back, and with them 

 tucks away out of sight its gauzy wings. 



Some hot afternoon, when you are sitting resting 

 on the grass, watch for the pretty bronze Beetles 

 as they come out of, and disappear into, cracks in 

 the earth. Whatever you do, don't kill one. Ask 

 your country friends what they believe will happen 

 if you kill a Sun Beetle. 



At the same time you may hear and see some 



