Thosp: Hokrid Earwkis 147 



the c:ise witli orj^ans ol tlic senses ; and I believe 

 myself that, by their means, all insects of the same 

 species are able to communicate mo^e or less with 

 one anotiier by established signals. Perhaps tiie 

 antenna; emit peculiar perfumes, which are recoj^- 

 nised in turn by those of the friend or mate ; per- 

 haps it is by touches and strokes that the insects 

 transmit their ideas to one another. But that tliey 

 do transmit ideas, nobody who has watciied them 

 closely ever doubts for a moment, and many 

 naturalists even use the word " talking " of the 

 parleys which ants and other insects carry on with 

 their feelers. 



It may be tiiouj^ht that an earwij^'s life, like a 

 policeman's, " is not a happy one." This I hold 

 to be an errcjr. The earwig loves damp and dark- 

 ness, it is true, but lie Ihes at nij^ht in the beautiful 

 twilight or by the soft rays of the moon, while his 

 days are solaced by the companionship of his mate 

 and his chosen ct)mrades, for they are j^rej^arious 

 creatures. The mother tends her y()un<4 with the 

 assiduity of a hen sitting on her chickens, and food 

 being abundant and cheap, life runs, as a rule, 

 fairly smoothly with the earwig. 



