PAIRING OF INSECTS. 223 



end of this creature, in his nightly peregrinations, is • 

 to seek his mate, always beneath him on the earth ; 

 and hence this apparatus appears designed to facilitate 

 his search, confining his view entirely to what is be- 

 fore or below him. The first serves to direct his flight, 

 the other presents the object of his pursuit ; and as 

 we commonly, and with advantage, place our hand 

 over the brow, to obstruct the rays of light falling 

 from above, which enables us to see clearer an object 

 on the ground, so must the projecting hood of this 

 creature converge the visual rays to a point beneath. 

 This is a very curious provision for the purposes of 

 the insect, if my conception of its design be reason- 

 able. Possibly the same ideas may have been brought 

 forward by others; but as I have not seen them, I am 

 not guilty of any undue appropriation, and no injury 

 can be done to the cause 1 wish to promote, by de- 

 tailinff agrain such beautiful and admirable contri- 

 vances *." 



We are no less anxious to promote the cause ad- 

 vocated by the ingenious author than he can be ; but 

 in the instance in question he seems to have over- 

 looked the circumstance, that the structure of the 

 female glow-worm is precisely similar to that of the 

 male, the head being not only covered with a broad 

 plate which overshadows the eyes, but being re- 

 tractile like that of the snail, a structure which, in her 

 case, cannot be required for the purpose assigned by 

 him to the male. A peculiarity which strikes us 

 more remarkably, is the extraordinary magnitude of 

 the eyes of the male, these being more than double, 

 while the body is not above half the size of that of 

 the female t. 



It is a question indeed by no means decided, whe- 

 ther the light of the glow-worm is intended for the 

 purpose popularly and poetically believed. We have 



* Journal of a Naturalist, 293, 1st edit, 

 t J. R. 



