The Glow- Worm 



more particularly the female, who, while re- 

 taining her larval shape, becomes marriage- 

 able and glows at her best during the hottest 

 part of summer. The lighting-apparatus 

 occupies the last three segments of the ab- 

 domen. On each of the first two, it takes 

 the form, on the ventral surface, of a wide 

 belt covering almost the whole of the arch; 

 on the third, the luminous part is much less 

 and consists simply of two small crescent- 

 shaped markings, or rather two spots which 

 shine through to the back and are visible both 

 above and below the animal. Belts and 

 spots emit a glorious white light, delicately 

 tinged with blue. The general lighting of 

 the Glow-worm thus comprises two groups: 

 first, the wide belts of the two segments pre- 

 ceding the last; secondly, the two spots of 

 the final segments. The two belts, the ex- 

 clusive attribute of the marriageable female, 

 are the part richest in light: to glorify her 

 wedding, the future mother dons her bright- 

 est gauds; she lights her two resplendent 

 scarves. But, before that, from the time of 

 the hatching, she had only the modest rush- 

 light of the stern. This efflorescence of light 

 is the equivalent of the final metamorphosis, 

 which is usually represented by the gift of 

 wings and flight. Its brilliance heralds the 

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