euplexoptera: earwig. 34/ 



the structure of the mouth, it resembles the grasshoppers 

 and other orthopterous insects. From these, however, it 

 diiFers so much, that Dr. Leach, M. Leon Dufom-, and others, 

 have formed it into a distinct order, whilst Latreille and 

 his followers unite it with the Orthoptera, but form it into a 

 distinct section. In this respect, therefore, it will be seen 

 that the despised earwig assumes a considerable degree of 

 interest, which will not be lessened when we leani that the 

 generally received opinion, that it creeps into the brain of 

 sleeping persons through the ears (an opinion current in 

 most countries, as we learn from the names of perce-oreille 

 given to it by the French, oren-wurn by the Germans, and 

 oren-metel by the Dutch), is one of those popular errors 

 which are so difficidt to root out. That the earwig may, 

 on some occasion or other, introduce itself into the ear of a 

 person sleeping on the grass, or in outhouses, is not more 

 unlikely than that any other insect which resides in holes 

 and crevices in such situations should do the same ; but the 

 structure of the human ear would completely prevent any 

 insect from entering the head, whilst the situation itself 

 would evidently be as uncomfortable to the insect as it would 

 be to the person annoyed. 



The food of the earwig consists of vegetable matters. It does 

 much mischief in gardens, devouring not only fruits, but also the 

 petals of flowers ; indeed, they are one of the g^reatest pests to the 

 florist. I have observed that they are especially desti'uctive to 

 the noble flowers of the dahlia, hut I am una]3le to give any 

 more eflfectual recipe for their destruction than is contained in tlie 

 following quaint extract from Old Mouffet : — " The Enghsh wo- 

 men hate them exceedingly, because of the flowers of clove gilli- 

 flowers that they eat and spoyle, and they lay snares for them 

 thus : they set in the utmost void places ox-hoofs, hogs'-hoofs, or 

 old cast things that are hollow, upon a staff fastened into the 

 ground, and these are easily stuffed with cloathes or straw ; and 

 when by night the savages creep into them to avoid the rain or 

 hide themselves, on the morning these old cast things being sud- 

 denly taken away and shook forth, a great multitude of them fall, 

 and are killed with treading upon them." The modern Lon- 



