The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles 



whose larva lives in the open air, without any 

 sort of protection. Next comes the Twelve- 

 spotted Crioceris, who is established in the as- 

 paragus-berry from her early infancy. The 

 most favoured is the Lily-beetle, who, while 

 a grub, makes an ulster of her excretions. 



For the second time, we are here con- 

 fronted by three insects which look as if they 

 had all come out of one mould, so much are 

 they alike in shape. If the costumes were 

 not different and the sizes dissimilar, we 

 should not know how to tell one from an- 

 other. And this pronounced resemblance in 

 figure is accompanied by a no less pro- 

 nounced lack of resemblance in instinct. 



The evacuator that soils its back cannot 

 have inspired the hermit living in cleanly re- 

 tirement inside its globe; the occupant of 

 the asparagus-berry did not advise the third 

 to live in the open and wander like an acro- 

 bat through the leafage. None of the three 

 has initiated the customs of the other two. 

 All this seems to me as clear as daylight. 

 If they have issued from the same stock, how 

 have they acquired such dissimilar talents? 



Furthermore, have these talents developed 

 by degrees? The Lily-beetle is prepared to 

 tell us. Her grub, let us suppose, once con- 

 ceived the notion, when tormented by the 



434 



