78 GLOW-WORM. 



colour, with the two or three last joints of the 

 body of a pale or whitish sulphur-colour. It is 

 from these parts that the phosphoric light above- 

 mentioned proceeds, which is of a yellow colour, 

 Math a very slight cast of green: the body, ex- 

 clusive of the thorax, consists of ten joints or di- 

 visions. The larva, pupa, and complete female 

 insect scarcely differ perceptibly from each other 

 in general appearance, but the phosphoric light 

 is strongest in the complete animal. The Glow- 

 Worm is a slow-moving insect, and in its manner 

 of walking frequently seems to drag itself on by 

 starts or slight efforts as it were. The male is 

 smaller than the female, and is provided both with 

 wings and wing-sheaths: it is but rarely seen, 

 and it seems, even at present, not very clearly 

 determined whether it be luminous or not. The 

 general idea among naturalists has been that it is 

 not, and that the splendor exhibited by the female 

 in this species is ordainefd for the purpose of at- 

 tracting the male. This circumstance is elegantly 

 expressed in some beautiful lines of Mr. Gilbert 

 White, in his History of Selburne. 



" The chilling night-dews fall; away, retire; 

 For see, the glow-worm lights her am'rous fire ! 

 Thus, ere night's veil had half obscur'd the sky, 

 Th' impatient damsel hung her lamp on high: 

 True to the signal, by love's meteor led, 

 Leander hasten'd to his Hero's bed." 



Dr. Darwin also, in his admired poem the Botanic 

 Garden, commemorates the splendor of the Glow- 

 Worm among other phenomena supposed to be 



