4«4 THE EARWIG, 



from the perfect infect. It is amazing in how little room the 

 long wings of thefe animals are packed before thej burfl 

 from their chryfalid ftate ; and even after they are pro- 

 truded, the animal, by means of the joints and miifcles 

 with which they are furnifhed, folds them up under the 

 elytra, that you would imagine it altogether deprived of 

 thefe inflrumcnts *. 



The life of the earwig, after it enters upon its winged 

 ftate, lafts but a few days ; each fex is then conftantly 

 in purfuit of the other, and that lliort exillence feems 

 chiefly employed in the bufinefs of procreation : After ha=. 

 ying provided for poflerity, the parent animal dries up, 

 and dies to all appearance confumptive f . 



* Swammerdam, p. 114, f Goldfnii^, p. 358, 



