40 ME. NEWPORT ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



On the Natural History of the Glowworm (Lampyris noctiluca). 



By the late George Newport, Esq., F.L.S. Prepared from 



♦the Author's MS. # by George Viner Ellis, Esq., Professor 



of Anatomy in Univ. Coll., London. Communicated by the 



Secretary f. 



[Read December 18th, 1855.] 



In the summer of the years 1840, 1841 and 1842, I devoted a 

 great deal of time to the investigation of the natural history and 

 anatomy of the Glowworm, in continuation of some researches 

 commenced in the country so long ago as the year 1830. These 

 researches had reference more especially to the internal structure of 

 the light-producing organs, and to the origin and nature of the light. 

 But although the structure of the parts concerned was repeatedly 

 and carefully examined, and although the insects themselves were 

 submitted to numerous experiments, I was unable to arrive at any 

 entirely satisfactory conclusion, either with regard to the peculiari- 

 ties of the structure of the organs, or to the nature of the light 

 which they emit. I felt bound, therefore, to withhold from publi- 

 cation the observations I had then made until such time as I 

 might be able either to enter more fully into the examination both 

 of the natural history of the insect and of its peculiar organization, 

 or to afford such an explanation of the mode of origin and of the 

 nature of its luminous property as would be in accordance with 

 the many facts already ascertained by other inquirers. Some years 

 later, on comparing the results of a series of observations on the 

 habits and anatomy of other insects, and especially of Meloe, with 

 the discoveries of Faraday and Matteucci in physical science, I was 

 led to the conclusion that a very close relation exists between the 

 vital and instinctive forces of the organic world and the physical 

 forces of the inorganic. This view, which was announced in a 



* Some additional MS. on the Anatomy and Light of the Glowworm, that is 

 less complete, I hope to be able to communicate to the Society on a future occa- 

 sion.— G.Y.E. 



f The materials of the present paper have been extracted from the note-books 

 of the late Mr. Newport by Professor Ellis, of University College. It was evi- 

 dently Mr. Newport's intention to have continued his observations on this very 

 interesting insect ; and there can be no doubt that, had he lived to carry out 

 this intention, the paper would have appeared in a much more complete and 

 elaborate form. But the observations, incomplete as they are, have appeared 

 too important to be left unpublished ; and, with this explanation, which is due 

 to Mr. Newport's memory, they are now printed in the Society's " Journal of 

 Proceedings."— Secretaey. 



