The Glowworm. 559 



pery green ; the latter having three longitudinal rows of 

 oblong raised spots. All the under part of the insect is 

 black. Having only very short wings beneath the cases, 

 Nature has providentially supplied it with such legs as 

 enable it to run with amazing swiftness. This insect is 

 frequently found in damp places, under stones and heaps 

 of decayed plants in gardens. There are several spe- 

 cies, one of which (Carabus molaceus) is of a beautiful 

 purple. 



The larvae live under ground, or in decayed wood, 

 where they remain until metamorphosed to their per- 

 fect state, when they proceed to devour the larvae of 

 other insects, and all weaker animals that they can 

 conquer. 



The Ground Beetles are found as early as the begin- 

 ning of March, in paths and near old walls, where the 

 sun warms the earth with its vivifying beams. Many of 

 the large species have been found between the decayed 

 bark and wood of willow trees. 



THE GLOWWORM. (Lampyris noctiluca.) 



IT is only the female Glowworm which produces the 

 beautiful light for which the insect is so well known, 

 and she frequently communicates this light to her eggs. 

 She is without wings or wing-cases, and possesses no 

 beauty when seen by daylight. The male has wings, 

 and leathery elytra. The larva is a very ugly and very 

 voracious grub, which feeds greedily on snails and 

 slugs. 



