THE EARWIG. 387 
favorite plants and shrubs. The mother Ladybird always takes care to deposit the eggs in 
spots where the aphides most swarm, and so secure an abundant supply of food for the future 
offspring. 

EARWIGS. 
TAKING leave of the beetles, we now proceed to a fresh order, distinguished by several 
simple characteristics, among which may be mentioned the soft and leathery elytra, or fore- 
wings, the wide and membranous hind-wings, and the forceps with which the tail is armed. 
The insects belonging to this order are popularly known by the name of Earwigs. 
Before proceeding to the description of individual species, it is necessary to remark that 
the word Earwig is slightly incorrect, and owing to a popular notion that the insects crawl 
into the human ear, thence into the brain, and complete their work by causing madness in the 
minds of those who are afflicted by their presence. 
The fact is, as all must know who have the least smattering of anatomy, that the insect 
never could gain admission to the brain by means of the ear. In the first place, the cerumen 
which is secreted in the ear and serves to preserve the natural moisture of the tissues, is so 
inexpressibly bitter, and so entirely opposed to the habits of the Earwig, that if one of these 
insects should by chance happen to crawl into the ear, its first impulse would be to retreat. 
In the second place, the drum of the ear would present an impassable obstacle, and in the 
third place, supposing the drum to have been ruptured, and the Earwig to have passed the 
spot where it existed, the complicated bony passages through which the auditory nerve passes 
would be too small to admit of its passage, even if the nerves which fill the channels were 
removed. 
In point of fact, the correct name of this insect is the Earwing, so called because its spread 
wings have an outline somewhat resembling that of the human ear. 
The membranous wings of the Earwig are truly beautiful. They are thin and delicate to 
a degree, very large and rounded, and during the day-time packed in the most admirable 
manner under the little square elytra. The process of packing is very beautiful, being greatly 
assisted by the forceps on the tail, which are directed by the creature with wonderful 
precision, and used as deftly as if they were fingers and directed by eyes. The Earwigs 
seldom fly except by night, and it is not very easy to see them pack up their wings. Some of 
the smaller species, however, are day-fliers, and in spite of their tiny dimensions, may be 
watched without much difficulty. 
Earwigs feed on vegetable matter, especially preferring the corollas of flowers. Pinks, 
carnations, and dahlias are often damaged greatly by these insects, which sometimes occur in 
vast quantities, and ruin the appearance of a well-tended flower-bed. Fortunately for the 
florist, the habits of these insects are constant, and they can be destroyed in great numbers by 
those who desire to kill them. Being intolerant of light, they avoid the sunshine by every 
means in their power, and creep into every crevice that may hide them from the unwelcome 
light. 
In consequence, they are fond of crawling among the thick and shadowy petals of the 
dahlia, and are frequently found in the slender spur of the nasturtium, so that any one who is 
about to eat one of these flowers will do well to examine the spur before he makes the attempt. 
Knowing these habits, horticulturists catch them by hundreds by the simple plan of placing 
lobsters’ claws, bits of hollow reed, and similar objects on the tops of sticks, knowing that the 
Earwigs will crawl into them at the dawn of day, and may be shaken out and killed when the 
gardener goes his rounds. 
The Earwig is remarkable for a parental affection quite exceptional in the insect race, the 
mother watching over her eggs until they are hatched, and after the young have entered the 
world, taking as much care of them as a hen takes of her chicken. 
