THE GLOWWORM. 



evanescent light proceeding from these creatures, 

 even as late as August and September. This was 

 particularly manifested September the 28th, 1826. 

 The evening was warm and dewy, and we observed 

 on the house-bank multitudes of these small evan- 

 escent sparks in the grass. The light displayed 

 was very different from that which they exhibit in 

 the warm summer months. Instead of the per- 

 manent green glow that illumines all the blades of 

 the surrounding herbage, it was a pale transient 

 spot, visible for a moment or two, and then so 

 speedily hidden, that we were obliged, in order 

 to capture the creature, to employ the light of a 

 candle. The number of them and their actions, 

 creeping away from our sight, contrary to that half- 

 lifeless dulness observed in summer, suggested the 

 idea that the whole body had availed themselves 

 of this warm, moist evening, to migrate to their 

 winter station. A single spark or so was to be 

 seen some evenings after this, but no such large 

 moving parties were discovered again. If we con- 

 clude, that the summer light of the glowworm is 

 displayed as a signal taper, the appearance of this 

 autumnal light can have no such object in view, 

 nor can we rationally assign any use of it to the 

 creature itself, unless, indeed, it serves as a point 

 of union in these supposed migrations, like the 

 leading call in the flight of night-moving birds. 

 The activity and numbers of these insects, in the 

 above-mentioned evening, enabled me to observe 

 the frequent presence and disappearance of the 



