SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



189 



The forceps will probably make a useful charac- 

 ter, as although they vary considerably in length 

 in some cases, the actual form and arrangement of 

 teeth is more or less constant. In Sfongophora 

 mis, Serv., the forceps vary from 4 mm. 

 to iS mm. in length, and the same phenomenon is 

 observed in the common Forficula auricularia, L., as 

 Messrs. Bateson and Brindley ( l ) have shown. 



Of the uncertain species there is the insufficiently 

 described Condyiopalama agilis, Sund. (-), an active 

 little insect taken some years ago at Stockholm, 

 believed to have been imported from Brazil. 

 > 1, Phil., is supposed to belong to 

 the genus Lipyx, Thysanura. There are also two 

 species of Hcmimcrus, Walk., H.taipoides (*), Walk., 

 and H. haxseni ( 5 ), Sharp. These extraordinary 

 insects will probably form a separate family of the 

 Forficularia (earwigs), as arranged by Dr. Sharp in 

 the Cambridge Natural History. Walker erected 

 his genus Hcmimcrus as a strange kind of mole 

 cricket. The last uncertain species is Dyscritina 

 I, Westw., which Mr. E. E. Green is 

 now studying in Ceylon, among its native haunts. 

 He has succeeded in rearing it to maturity, for 

 only the nymph had been known hitherto. Mr. 

 Green has discovered that it possesses fully 

 developed organs of flight. Also he finds that by 

 an extraordinary phenomenon, the jointed caudal 

 setae, which gave rise to a discussion as to whether 

 it was really an earwig, are converted into forceps. 

 It may prove to be a relic of the ancestral form of 

 earwig, and very likely the genus Pygidicrana, or 

 perhaps Cylindrcgastcr or Diplatys, will be its 

 nearest allies. It will possibly form a separate 

 family, in which case Forficularia must be raised 

 to the rank of a sub-order of Orthoptera, or else 

 an order of its own, as now held by Brauer and 

 others. 



Earwigs do not seem to be numerous insects in 

 the tropics, and little is known of their habits. 

 De Bormans tells us that Apachys, Chelisoches, 

 Playlabia and some species of Labia are to be 

 found under bark, and Drachylabis and Opisthocosmia 

 nnder dead leaves, or rubbish, or very ripe fruit. 

 Some species are frequenters of the seashore and 

 may be found among the shingle, or some under 

 stones, especially in damp places. Certain Euro- 

 pean species inhabit high mountains, almost in the 

 snow and by the edge* of glaciers. Others are 

 known to be able to give off defensive smell from 

 the lateral tubercles, which are probably stink- 

 glands. The forccp> ar>: the homologies of il»r 

 cerci of other Orthoptera, and Mr Gahan tell . me 

 that he has de t e c ted traces of segmentation in the; 

 ■ 



■. 



wn, 1H1, p. - 



forceps of very young larvae. These sometimes 

 assume very curious shapes, especially in the genera 

 Opisthocosmia and Anechura. In some species of 

 Spongophora and the spiny earwigs not yet separated 

 from Labidura, the forceps are longer than the body. 



Earwigs are remarkable for showing a distinct 

 attachment for their ova. De Geer was the first 

 to notice this habit, and his account is well known. 

 Colonel Bingham once observed a large earwig in 

 Burmah, which, when disturbed by the men look- 

 ing for fuel for the fire, instead of seeking safety 

 for herself, gave all her care to a batch of ova. 



Ten species have been taken in Britain. Of 

 these Labidura riparia, Pall., has been taken five or 

 six times on the South Coast ; Anisolabis maritima, 

 Bon., was taken in numbers at South Shields, in 

 1S56 ; A. annulipes, Luc, has been taken in several 

 places, imported from abroad, being a cosmopolitan 

 species, as, in fact, are the last two ; the oriental 

 Chelisoches morio, Fabr., has occurred at Kew 

 Gardens; Labia minor, L., is fairly common, and 

 Forficula auricularia, L., is abundant; F. lesnei, 

 Finot, has been taken twice, at the Warren at 

 Folkestone, and at Wallingford, in Berkshire ; 

 F. pubescens, Gene, has been recorded several times, 

 but probably it is a case of mistaken identity, 

 F. lesnei having been the real insect ; Apterygida 

 albipennis, Meg., was captured by Westwood sixty 

 years ago, but not since, and A. arachidis, Yers., 

 has thoroughly established itself at Queenboro', on 

 the Medway. 



List of Genera of Forficularia. 



Apachya, Serv., seven species. 

 Tagaltna, Dohrn., two species. 

 Neolobophora, Scudd., three species. 

 Pygidicrana, Serv., twenty-five species. 

 Nannopygia, Dohrn., two species. 

 Cylindrogaster, Stal., seven species. 

 Diplatys, Serv., four species. 

 Echinopsalis, Borm., one species. 

 Echinosoma, Serv., ten species. 

 Pyragra, Serv., five species. 

 Bracliylabis, Dohrn., two species. 

 Labidura, Leach, twenty-five species. 

 Psalis, Serv., nine species. 



hirodes, Borm., one species. 

 Anisolabis, Fieb., thirty-live species. 

 Plalylabia, Dohrn., eight species. 

 Chaelospania, Karsch., two species. 

 Sparalta, Serv., fifteen species. 

 Muomtra, Serv., one species. 

 Labia, Leach, forty-two species. 



ngophora, Serv., twenty-two species. 

 I ehi , Scudd., twenty-two species. 



Alichtnomus, Karsch., two species. 



Ital.) twelve species. 

 o/, Hi < 1 lohrn., sixteen species. 



bura, Scudil., clew n ! ' ' " 

 I ..'.I., foi 1 V si 8Pei i' 



abis, Borm., twenty-seven species. 

 pi . 

 lura, 1. .-ui , eight pecii 

 Carcinoph . • cu d., two pedes 



New 1 Oxford; Oi lobtr, 1H97. 



II 2 



