Insects — Quadrupeds. 2695 



relatively smaller, the hind wings relatively larger than in ordinary 

 Coleoptera. The same remarks are applicable to the segments bearing 

 the wings. 



Edward Newman. 

 Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, 

 May, 1847. 



Curious Act in the Lesser Earwig (Labia minor). — One fine evening in the latter 

 end of July, some years ago, I was sitting near a window, reading, when my attention 

 was attracted to an insect resembling a small earwig (Labia minor), which, alighting 

 on my book and running very nimbly to the top, spread its wings and flew away to 

 the window. Although I was aware that earwigs were winged insects, I had never 

 seen one fly before, and was therefore desirous of observing how it was managed : I 

 consequently secured the insect, and induced it to run up to the top of the book as 

 before, where it again took flight. This I caused it to repeat a number of times, and 

 was much gratified in observing the manner in which this creature prepared its wings 

 for flight. Upon arriving at the highest point it could attain, the insect stood quite 

 still, and raised the elytra ; it then, with a very quick motion, thrust the point of one 

 of the caudal appendages, close to the body, under the wing, which was unfolded by 

 its agency : this being repeated on the other side, both wings were fully expanded, 

 and the insect briskly flew away. Thus, then, we see that those appendages which 

 give this insect so formidable an appearance to the uninstructed, and whose office is 

 by no means apparent at first sight, are intended to expand the curiously folded 

 and closely packed wings, which have long been subjects of admiration to those inte- 

 rested in Natural Histoiy. — John Williams; Royal Astronomical Society, Somerset 

 House, December 6, 1849. 



[This is a most interesting fact ; but it is remarkable that the common earwig 

 (Forficula auricularia) has the same appendages largely developed, and yet is not 

 known to use its wings. — Edward Newman.~\ 



Occurrence of a Foreign Bat in Orkney. — Mr. Newman, in the preface to the 

 volume of the 'Zoologist' for 1849, refers to my paper with the above heading 

 (Zool. 2343). He seems to infer that it was rather "slow" of me not to seize so 



plausible a pretext for adding a new bat to the British list. Mr. , Mr. 



and Mr. are men of far better spirit ; they have shown some most exotic-looking 



birds to be truly British. But as Mr. Newman says that I " do not attempt to ac- 

 count for its presence in the Orkneys, and that the subject requires more minute 

 investigation," I will now endeavour to say a little more about it than I did in my 

 first communication. I grant that the subject requires further investigation, and such 

 I intended to have given it during a second visit this summer, by ascertaining posi- 

 tively whether any bats are constant inhabitants of the Orkneys, and if so, of what 

 species ; but I was unfortunately only there a few days, and in such weather as no- 



