THE GLOW-WORM 275 



prey incapable of the least muscular effort. That is how 

 I see things by the unaided light of logic. 



Let us now return to the Glow-worm. When the 

 Snail is on the ground, creeping, or even shrunk into his 

 shell, the attack never presents any difficulty. The shell 

 possesses no lid and leaves the hermit's fore-part to a 

 great extent exposed. Here, on the edges of the mantle, 

 contracted by the fear of danger, the Mollusc is vulner- 

 able and Incapable of defense. But it also frequently 

 happens that the Snail occupies a raised position, cling- 

 ing to the tip of a grass-stalk or perhaps to the smooth 

 surface of a stone. This support serves him as a tem- 

 porary lid; it wards off the aggression of any churl who 

 might try to molest the inhabitant of the cabin, always 

 on the express condition that no slit show itself anywhere 

 on the protecting circumference. If, on the other hand, 

 in the frequent case when the shell does not fit its sup- 

 port quite closely, some point, however tiny, be left un- 

 covered, this is enough for the subtle tools of the Lam- 

 pyris, who just nibbles at the Mollusc and at once plunges 

 him into that profound immobility which favors the tran- 

 quil proceedings of the consumer. 



These proceedings are marked by extreme prudence. 

 The assailant has to handle his victim gingerly, without 

 provoking contractions which would make the Snail let 

 go his support and, at the very least, precipitate him 

 from the tall stalk whereon he is blissfully slumbering. 

 Now any game falling to the ground would seem to be 

 so much sheer loss, for the Glow-worm has no great zeal 



