﻿547 
  

  

  examine 
  the 
  contents 
  of 
  its 
  crop. 
  Seven 
  batches, 
  comprising 
  162 
  

   earwigs, 
  were 
  thus 
  investigated, 
  and 
  the 
  conclusion 
  arrived 
  at 
  is 
  that 
  

   these 
  insects 
  are 
  universal 
  feeders. 
  Normally, 
  they 
  feed 
  on 
  dead 
  

   portions 
  of 
  plants, 
  and 
  on 
  fungi 
  such 
  as 
  Capnodium, 
  etc., 
  but 
  when 
  a 
  

   favourable 
  opportunity 
  occurs, 
  hving 
  leaves 
  and 
  flowers 
  are 
  attacked. 
  

   The 
  crops 
  of 
  19 
  out 
  of 
  20 
  individuals 
  placed 
  on 
  dahlias 
  were 
  filled 
  

   with 
  parts 
  of 
  their 
  leaves 
  and 
  flowers, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  quite 
  correct 
  to 
  

   consider 
  the 
  insects 
  as 
  pests 
  of 
  these 
  plants. 
  Only 
  dead 
  animal 
  

   matter 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  consumed, 
  so 
  that 
  earwigs 
  are 
  non-beneficial.* 
  

   The 
  proportion 
  of 
  such 
  animal 
  food 
  is 
  small 
  and 
  only 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  

   present 
  where 
  other 
  food 
  is 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  had. 
  In 
  general, 
  the 
  earwig 
  

   may 
  be 
  held 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  harmless 
  insect 
  which 
  only 
  needs 
  combating 
  in 
  

   special 
  cases. 
  So 
  far, 
  its 
  behaviour 
  as 
  regards 
  ripe 
  fruit 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   vineyard 
  and 
  field 
  has 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  investigated 
  by 
  the 
  author. 
  

  

  Michel 
  (E.). 
  Note 
  sur 
  certains 
  Vers-^-soie 
  sauvages 
  du 
  Congo 
  Beige. 
  

  

  [Note 
  on 
  certain 
  indigenous 
  silkworms 
  of 
  the 
  Belgian 
  Congo.] 
  — 
  

   VAgron. 
  Trop., 
  Uccle, 
  vi, 
  no. 
  4, 
  April 
  1914, 
  pp. 
  33-45, 
  6 
  pis. 
  

  

  The 
  silk-producing 
  caterpillars 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Anaphe, 
  which 
  are 
  

   abundant 
  in 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  West 
  Africa, 
  Uganda 
  and 
  Natal, 
  assemble 
  

   together 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  just 
  before 
  pupation 
  and 
  spin 
  a 
  

   common 
  nest 
  within 
  which 
  each 
  pupates 
  in 
  its 
  own 
  cocoon. 
  These 
  

   silk 
  nests 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  Congo, 
  but 
  the 
  natives 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  

   entirely 
  unaware 
  of 
  their 
  utihty. 
  A 
  company 
  has 
  now 
  been 
  formed, 
  

   with 
  the 
  sanction 
  and 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  Government 
  of 
  the 
  

   Belgian 
  Congo, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  collecting 
  the 
  nests 
  in 
  certain 
  

   districts 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  methodical 
  cultivation 
  of 
  these 
  indigenous 
  silk- 
  

   worms. 
  The 
  silk 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  genus 
  Anaphe 
  is 
  specially 
  adapted 
  

   to 
  the 
  silk-waste 
  industry, 
  for 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  velvets, 
  plushes, 
  

   and 
  the 
  fabrics 
  for 
  neckties, 
  umbrellas, 
  sewing-silk, 
  etc., 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   possible 
  that 
  it 
  might 
  prove 
  useful 
  in 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  fabric 
  for 
  

   the 
  envelopes 
  of 
  balloons. 
  For 
  some 
  time 
  past 
  this 
  industry 
  has 
  

   extended 
  considerably 
  and 
  although 
  the 
  silk- 
  waste 
  produce 
  of 
  Bombyx 
  

   mori 
  is 
  of 
  excellent 
  quahty, 
  it 
  appears, 
  according 
  to 
  Prof. 
  Lehmann, 
  

   of 
  the 
  Royal 
  School 
  of 
  Spinning 
  and 
  Weaving 
  at 
  Crefeld, 
  that 
  the 
  

   silk-waste 
  produce 
  of 
  Anaphe 
  is 
  superior 
  to 
  this 
  in 
  resistance 
  and 
  

   elasticity. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  not 
  so 
  briUiant, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  considered 
  probable 
  

   that 
  a 
  remedy 
  can 
  be 
  found 
  for 
  this 
  defect. 
  Seeing 
  that 
  the 
  moths 
  are 
  

   indigenous 
  and 
  that 
  no 
  capital 
  is 
  required 
  for 
  breeding 
  them, 
  at 
  all 
  

   events 
  at 
  present, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  mere 
  question 
  of 
  collecting 
  the 
  nests, 
  the 
  

   industry 
  would 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  commercially 
  attractive. 
  Should 
  it 
  be 
  

   found 
  necessary 
  or 
  desirable 
  to 
  undertake 
  the 
  artificial 
  rearing 
  of 
  these 
  

   indigenous 
  silk- 
  worms, 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  done 
  in 
  Africa 
  without 
  any 
  difficulty 
  

   and 
  with 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  outlay. 
  

  

  Experience 
  has 
  shown 
  that 
  the 
  industrial 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  silk-waste 
  

   (" 
  schappe 
  ") 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  cocoons 
  or 
  the 
  nests 
  which 
  the 
  perfect 
  

   insects 
  have 
  left, 
  is 
  not 
  in 
  any 
  wise 
  diminished 
  ; 
  this, 
  as 
  is 
  well 
  known, 
  

   is 
  not 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  the 
  cocoons 
  of 
  Bombyx 
  mori. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  necessity, 
  

   therefore, 
  to 
  kiU 
  the 
  pupae 
  of 
  Anaphe 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  Bombyx 
  mmi. 
  

  

  * 
  [There 
  are 
  various 
  records 
  of 
  earwigs 
  eating 
  living 
  insects 
  ; 
  for 
  their 
  

   beneficial 
  destruction 
  of 
  Depressaria 
  pupae, 
  cf. 
  this 
  Review, 
  Ser. 
  A, 
  i, 
  

   p. 
  43.— 
  Ed.] 
  

  

  (C67) 
  b2 
  

  

  