1918.I C. A. Paiva : The Indian Glow-worm. 25 



and appearance, while the pupal skin is quite flimsy and trans- 

 parent throughout. Both these skins were carefully removed and 

 are preserved in the collection of the Zoological Survey of India. 



After casting its pupal skin the insect became quite sluggish and 

 did not seem affected by being handled. It did not attempt to 

 walk. It lay quietly on its side and glowed only when touched 

 or when any loud noise was made. Its glow, however, did not 

 last long. The Rambha larva continued to eat snails from the 

 23rd to the 27th, until it gradually decreased its food to a single 

 snail a night. It now refused to touch even the smallest snail. 

 At about 6-15 P.M. on the 28th the insect from Angul, which had now 

 been transformed into an adult female Lamprophorus emerged from 

 its " dug-out" and took up its position near one of the sides of the 

 cage. Here it lay slightly on one side and turned up the posterior 

 end of its body and glowed very brightly. On a light being shone 

 on its cage the glow of the insect gradually died out and it com- 

 menced to walk round the cage. It made several attempts to get 

 out of the cage, but finding no exit, it tried to get under a stone 

 in the vain hope of finding an opening there. Seeing it so restless 

 I placed the cage on an exposed window sill. Had there been 

 any males of its species flying in the neighbourhood they would 

 ceitainty have been attracted to the cage by its bright glow, 

 although the moon was shining brightly and the skies were 

 clear. On the morning of the 29th the female had got under 

 a tin cover which was placed in the cage, and remained there 

 for the rest of the day. Its milky colour had now changed to a 

 very pale ochraceous on the middle of the first nine dorsal seg- 

 ments, the margins of which were pale yellow. The dorsal plates 

 now appeared more flat than rounded. The ventral surface 

 remained cream)' white. The adult female cleans itself in the 

 same manner as does the larva. Up to the 12th October the 

 female had walked about the cage every night exhibiting its light 

 at intervals in different parts of the cage. On one occasion I opened 

 the door of the cage and it immediately walked out. After going 

 a short distance it stopped, turned up the posterior end of its body 

 and began to glow very brightl)'. Having glowed for a few 

 minutes it attempted to go further off, but I put it back into its 

 cage and it kept on glowing at various parts of the cage. It ate 

 nothing^ although a number of snails were placed in the cage. A 

 little water was put in the tin cover in the cage for the snails to 

 drink. The next morning the female was found inside the water, 

 apparentl}' drowned. I rescued it and placed it under the tin 

 cover, leaving no water in the cage. It remained very quiet and 

 listless during the day, but by evening it had revived and was 

 walking about the cage as usual. During the night, that is the 

 night it strayed into the water, it had layed four globular, pale 

 yellowish eggs measuring about 3 mm. in diameter. It continued 

 to lay eggs every night up to the 14th. In all it laid fifteen eggs. 

 These eggs were luminous and could with ease be counted at the 

 bottom of the cage in pitchy darkness. The lum.inosity of the eggs 



