224 A NATURALIST IN HIMALAYA 



secure hold on the shell, and its head overhung the 

 soft body of the snail in readiness to strike. Suddenly, 

 and with much greater rapidity than might be expected 

 from so sluggish an insect, the Lampyris plunged its 

 head beneath the front margin of the shell. Immedi- 

 ately the snail withdrew its head into the shelter, but 

 the retreat was too late. The glow-worm's mandibles 

 were already fixed. The snail struggled. Large drops 

 of viscid mucus oozed out from beneath its shell, but 

 this did not affect the glow-worm. The snail squirmed 

 from side to side, now rolled its body to the right, 

 now to the left in the struggle to throw off its enemy. 

 Its efforts were of no avail. Deeper and deeper sunk 

 the head of the Lampyris into the soft tissues of its 

 prey. The victim was doomed. There was no escape 

 from such an attack as this. The snail writhed in 

 agony ; every muscle was convulsed ; the whole body 

 swayed in violent contortions ; the thick fleshy foot 

 was twisted into a rigid corkscrew, then untwisted, 

 then again rescrewed, then curled up in the vain effort 

 to sweep its enemy off the shell. Every gland poured 

 out its mucus until enemy and victim were both en- 

 veloped in the same slime. But the glow-worm still 

 clung on, persisting in its fierce attack. Its mandibles 

 were now deeply buried. It seemed to be striking at 

 the very vitals of its prey. Its luminous powers shared 

 its muscular efforts, for it glowed with an intense light. 

 Its hold on the shell was firm. Its suckers had a 

 secure grip. No bodily contortion could unseat it. 

 And its place on the very summit of the shell was so 

 well chosen that, no matter how the snail twisted itself 

 to the right or to the left, it could never crush its 

 adversary between its shell and the ground. 



