THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 287 



a special organ, which is supphed with special nerves which 

 control the display of light at the will of the animal. Still I 

 hold that that light when put in action is the result of slow 

 combustion. 



There is obviously much room for interesting experiment 

 and observation regarding the luminosity of insects. I have 

 alluded to the greater splendour of the light when the glow- 

 worm is placed in oxygen. Might not the combustive action 

 be so increased by continued replenishment and saturation 

 or condensation of oxygen as actually to ignite the animal by 

 its own respiration ? Might not luminosity be detected under 

 similar circumstances in other insects which are not usually 

 luminous, or in some parts of them ? 



Tt is possible, loo, that there may be more than one means 

 by which the phenomenon of luminosity is produced. We 

 too often mislead ourselves by referring similar effects to one 

 cause. 



But, to return to the aflSnities of the larva in question, the 

 general diffusion of light throughout the body indicates a 

 greater resemblance to the firefly than the glowworm. 



The new larva, however, differs materially from the normal 

 type of Elateridous larvae : they are all nearly rounded, 

 cylindrical, hard worms, like a bit of wire (the wireworm is 

 one of them) ; whereas the present species is only convex on 

 the upper side, which has something of the consistency of 

 the Elateridous larvae ; but the under side must have been 

 softer, although still of a pergaminous texture ; for it is 

 wrinkled and flatter, or even somewhat concave, instead of 

 being linear, and the segments not fitting into each other so 

 as to make an even wire-like surface, but telescopically fitted, 

 the anterior one always being a good deal wider than the one 

 next behind it. The terminal segment in the great majority 

 of cases (not in the wireworm, which is one of the exceptions), 

 and very often every segment, has a roughened, finely papil- 

 lose part, which serves as a rasp or file-like surface by which 

 to keep a hold on the w^alls of its burrow by pressing against 

 them when it desires to move, the minute legs at the anterior 

 end being obviously insufficient to have much effect on the 

 long body, which extends far behind. This larva has nothing 

 of that sort. 



On passing in review the whole of the larvae of different 



