NOTES ON THE EAKWIG. 27 



early date. I have met with no evidence that there is a second nest 

 made by any female, or that the brood of the year make any nests till 

 the spring of the followmg year. So far I have made no observations 

 showing Avhen the males perish. 



There is one very remarkable item which I can report, but as to 

 which I am quite unable to suggest any meaning or explanation, yet 

 the structure observed is so constantly present that it must have some 

 really important function. When first I noticed it I said at once this 

 specimen, notwithstanding my method of preparing it and other diffi- 

 culties and improbabilities, contains some unlaid eggs. What I saw 

 was six oval lines in the last segment that has a narrow dorsal plate, 

 the following one, the apparent last, being long and roughly triangular. 

 These lines obviously suggested the outlines of eggs. The ovals were 

 about 0"3mm. in their long diameter and 0'2mm. in the shorter. 

 Closer examination suggested that they were only fine rings and 

 belonged to nothing solid like an egg. The dimensions given are 

 those in an adult specimen. The remarkable point about these rings 

 is that they were present in every specimen examined (with one excep- 

 tion in a specimen somewhat differently disposed on the slide), at every 

 stage from the first to the adult insect, and in both sexes, not only so, 

 however, but also — and this is the point that puzzles me — they are 

 equally present in all the cast skins at every stage. 



They have all the appearance of being quite loose and free, some- 

 times at one side of the segment, or centrally, or on the other, placed 

 as two threes, or as three twos, or each separate, trespassing often on 

 the intersegmental membrane on either side of what appears to be 

 their proper segment, or even sometimes in the next segment. This, 

 one supposes one could understand in the actual insect, but the same 

 remarks apply to cast skins, in which they must in some way be 

 attached to their proper segment, but in a way permitting a certain 

 amount of movement. They are nearly always expanded as ovals, but 

 sometimes one or more has one side bent inwards, giving them a more 

 or less crescent outline. Being cast with the skin at each moult 

 implies that they are in some way dermal, or rather epithelial, struc- 

 tures. But this suggestion does not enable me to think I know any- 

 thing further about them. Some of their varied aspects are shown on 

 Plate III. 



Looking over my notes, I see that some doubt may be possible 

 whether there are really all the stages I mention, ru., whether the 2nd 

 and 3rd are not one instar, and whether the 4th and 5th are not also 

 one instar, the doubt arises from the non-progression of the number of 

 antennal joints, and that I may be in error is possible, say from a 

 moult being spread over some time in the different members of a brood 

 misleading me, owing to my fear of wrecking the whole research by 

 too much disturbance for examination. Whether there is real ground 

 for this doubt remains for future observations to determine. 



This autumn I have secured a store of earwigs, to be kept over the 

 winter to determine, if possible, some of the facts that want discover- 

 ing or further elucidation. Such as, what is the truth as to the death 

 of the mother earwig? some details as to regeneration of lost parts, 

 when do the males die ? and so on. 



So far, I find that pairing takes place in late autumn and early 

 winter, and probably occurs more than once. My jars are kept, at 



