CHAPTER I 



THE GLOW-WORM 



"CpEW insects in our climes vie in popular 

 •'- fame with the Glow-worm, that curious 

 little animal which, to celebrate the little joys 

 of life, kindles a beacon at its tail-end. Who 

 does not know it, at least by name? Who 

 has not seen it roam amid the grass, like a 

 spark fallen from the moon at its full? 

 The Greeks of old called it Aa/tTroupis, mean- 

 ing, the bright-tailed. Science employs the 

 same term : it calls the lantern-bearer, Lam- 

 pyris noctiluca, LIN. In this case, the 

 common name is inferior to the scientific 

 phrase, which, when translated, becomes 

 both expressive and accurate. 



In fact, we might easily cavil at the word 

 " worm." The Lampyris is not a worm at 

 all, not even in general appearance. He has 

 six short legs, which he well knows how to 

 use; he is a gad-about, a trot-about. In the 

 adult state, the male is correctly garbed in 

 wing-cases, like the true Beetle that he is. 

 The female is an ill-favoured thing who 



