340 FLYING GLOWWORMS. 



fire-fly ; the grub of the latter loving to feed on the roots of 

 sugar-canes (to which, says Humboldt, it is often very injurious), 

 in lieu of the roots of corn and other vegetables, the favourite 

 fare of his British relative. 



Like the tropic fire-flies, these glowworms are beetles, though 

 of a different family, that of the Lampyridce, of which the 

 Lucciola is a very small species, with blackish-brown wing- 

 cases; the legs, as well as thorax, of which the shield nearly 

 hides the head, being reddish yellow. The light of these 

 insects, when creeping, or perching upon trees, is described as 

 being hardly perceptible, but "becoming brilliant on flight; 

 not constant, but scintillating, as if disclosed on successive ex- 

 pansions of the wings. Appearing with the twilight, their full 

 radiance shines forth in darkness ; when some, shooting through 

 the air, make luminous tracks in all directions, while others 

 spangle the shrubs and herbage. 1 



Their appearance and effect in the neighbourhood of Genoa 

 has been thus described by Sir J. E. Smith :~ 



" On the eve of St. John the Baptist, the great festival of 

 Genoa, the town was brilliantly illuminated, while along the 

 purple coast to the west, the last rays of the setting sun still 

 trembled on the hills, and the moon arose in the east. To these 

 three contrasted lights was added the singular effect of innumer- 

 able flying glowworms darting their momentary splendour 

 through all the streets, gardens, and rooms. We used frequently 

 to catch these little insects, and entangle them in the ladies' 

 hair and head-dresses, a decoration which the women of some 

 countries adopt for themselves." 



Our English glowworm 3 (as we presume most people are 

 aware) is the wingless female of a winged beetle, which also 

 carries a light, though one of much inferior lustre.* 



1 See " Naturalist's Library." 



3 In " Sketch of a Tour on the Continent," quoted in " Nat. Lib." 



3 Lampyris noctiluca. See Vignette. 



4 A solitary glowworm, resembling the English, but much larger and more 

 brilliant, was seen by Bishop Heber in Ceylon. He makes no mention or' 

 lantern-fiies. 



