The great peculiarity of these insects lies in the fact that the mother broods over her eggs like a sitting

EARWIGS.

I

out the tenderest bits of herbage, taking the trouble to provide them with a dainty morsel of animal food occasionally, and carefully showing them how to eat. Sad to relate, however, this devoted maternal affection does not meet with the reward that is its due. Should their mother die, her children immediately proceed to

devour her. Such is the depravity of insect nature! Perhaps, however, they like her so much when she is alive that they feel they could eat her, and prove the reality of their affection when they get the chance,

Earwigs are not wholly bad: there is nothing so bad but it has its redeeming feature. So have these creatures; for, although they eat pretty greedily of the green and tender leaves of plants, they are also fond of a little animal food for a change; so they

sally forth by moonlight, if there chances to be a moon, in the dead of night, to prey upon man's enemy-the aphis. We are always glad to hear of aphides being gobbled up, for they make sad havoc of our pretty rose-trees, which they seem to admire and love as much as we do, only in a different way.

The earwig's body is long, and, like all others of the insect tribe, is in rings or segments-the hard outer skin, or skeleton, being formed of a substance called chitine. At the extremity it has a pair of large forceps, which, though looking very formidable, are not so in reality. It uses them, however, for selfdefence, and no doubt its enemies could testify to the unpleasant strength of the pincers. After flight, the flexible tail with its pincer-like termination is used to replace the beautiful wings under the wing-covers.

Its mandibles, too, are very strong and sharp, most likely made so that it may the more easily cut and tear away the tissues of the flowers, leaves, and unfortunate animals on which it feeds.

Altogether it is anything but a pleasant-looking creature, and we are not sorry that it should prefer to hide itself during the day-time in the bark of trees, under stones, in holes in the ground, and issue forth at night, when "all cats are grey," and all forms are either undistinguishable in the darkness or etherealised by the softening, mystic light of the moon.

Naturally, the earwig's habits are to dwell in humble and lowly spots, but from the fact that

gardeners often catch numbers of them in the traps elevated on sticks far above the ground, we may conclude that some of these insects have ideas above their station, and in their ambitious flights fall a prey to the hatred of the horticulturist. Fewer would, perhaps, so perish if their uses were weighed in the balance against their offences.

There appears to be little doubt that if insects were left to themselves they would prey upon each other, and the birds upon them, and the cats upon the birds, and so on, and that, in the natural course of events, such an equilibrium would be maintained as would render unnecessary the various methods of insect extermination that have taxed the ingenuity of so many minds.

"More servants wait on man Than he'll take notice of. In every path

He treads down that which doth befriend him."

JEWELLERY.

WHAT a vain old dame sweet Mother Nature must be! She always attires herself in the latest fashions of the season, and, old as she is, they always become her; because every year she renews her youth. In spring she "a

robe of vernal green puts on," bedecked with a subtle sprinkling of violet and a delicate primrose border. When the weather becomes warmer, we see her clad in feathery fern-like laces, in which nestle rosebuds, honeysuckles, and lovely flowers of every hue. With what glories of regal scarlet, blue and gold, she pranks herself in the rich, ripe autumn! Then