178 PTILOTA. 



field-bug (Pentatoma grisea) survives this event, and that she 

 leads her brood about, consisting of from thirty to forty young 

 ones, in the same way as a hen does her chickens. Somewhat 

 similar observations have been made upon the common ear- 

 wig by De Geer, as well as by the author of " Insect Trans- 

 formations," whohaspubhshed the following interestingnotice 

 in the Penny Magazine : — "About the end of March I found 

 an earwig brooding over her eggs in a small cell scooped out in 

 a garden border, and in order to observe her proceedings I re- 

 moved the eggs into my study, placing them upon fresh earth 

 under a bell-glass. The careful mother soon scooped out a 

 fresh cell, and collected the scattered eggs with great care to 

 the Uttle nest, placing herself over them, not so much, as it 

 afterwards appeared, to keep them warm, as to prevent the 

 too rapid evaporation of their moisture. When the earth be- 

 gan to dry up she dug the cell gradually deeper, till at 

 length she got almost out of view ; and whenever the inte- 

 rior became too dry, she withdrew the eggs from the cell 

 altogether, and placed them round the rim of the glass, where 

 some of the evaporated moisture had condensed: upon ob- 

 serving this, I dropped some water into the abandoned cell, 

 and the mother soon afterwards replaced her eggs there. 

 When the water which had dropped had nearly evaporated, 

 I moistened the outside of the earth opposite the bottom of 

 the cell, and the mother perceiving this, actually dug a gal- 

 lery right through to the spot where she found the best sup- 

 ply of moisture. Having neglected to moisten the earth for 

 some days, it again became dry, and there was none even 

 round the rim of the glass as before. Under these circum- 

 stances, the mother earwig found a little remaining moisture 

 quite under the clod of earth, upon the board of the mantel- 

 piece, and thither she forthwith carried her eggs. The sub- 

 sequent proceedings were not less interesting ; for though I 

 carefully moistened the earth every day, she regularly changed 



