0¥ THE GLOWWORM (lAMPTKTS NOCTILUCa). 55 



instantly exuded from each wound. In this way the larva con- 

 tinued its attack on the snail, running along the side of it from 

 tail to head and back again, repeating its bite at each turn as the 

 snail crawled along. It seemed to direct its cliief attacks against 

 the head of its victim, and in this it succeeded in two or three 

 attempts. Once the snail was bitten at the base of one of the 

 large feelers, and the effect was inability to protrude the organ to 

 its full extent. I then placed this snail aside mitil the next day : 

 although it had been the object of repeated attacks it was not 

 killed, but only appeared to be a little paralysed. These experi- 

 ments were made on the 27th of August, when the larvae were in 

 full activity. On the following afternoon I found that the speci- 

 men set aside had really been more injured than at first appeared ; 

 it moved very feebly and slowly, and was unable to protrude the 

 feelers on the injured side of the body to their full extent. The 

 inferior margin of the body from the head to the posterior extre- 

 mity of the foot was unused, irregular and shi-unken, and the entire 

 animal had e\adently suftered greatly in health ; it appeared to be 

 highly sensitive to light. I then placed near it a large larva, by 

 which it was immediately bitten in the inferior horn on the left 

 side, and the snail retired into its shell. Before it could withdraw 

 itself completely, it was again struck in the margin of the foot on 

 the right side, and the larva then passed quietly to the opposite 

 side and wounded it there also ; then, just as the snail was about 

 to reappear, bit it again twice, first in the inferior, then in the 

 superior horn of the right side ; and when the snail made an efibrt 

 to protrude the left horn, which had never recovered its original 

 power, wounded it again in that also. After this, it was struck 

 again on the margin of the foot on both sides, and the snail then 

 seemed to be entirely incapable either of completely witlidrawing 

 itself within the shell, or of locomotion and attempt to escape. 

 Its body soon appeared shrunk and corrugated, and writhed as if 

 in great agony. It occasionally protruded a very small portion of 

 its horns, but it seemed to have lost all power to project them to 

 their full extent, the utmost length being then not more than one- 

 half that of their original dimensions. 



It was interesting to observe with what apparent caution tlie 

 glowworm proceeded with its work of destruction. It protruded 

 its head to the greatest extent from the thorax, extended its body 

 backwards, and flexed and affixed it firmly by its prologs, so as to 

 obtain as it were a fulcrum against which it might direct its 

 whole strength in the attack. When I removed the snail, in order 



