THE GLOWWORM'S TAPER. 341 



Cui bono, the lady's taper ? To answer this inquiry Con- 

 jecture has been clever, but, as usual, often at variance with 

 herself. 



While it is supposed by some that the light of the wingless 

 beetle is bestowed for her protection, to scare away her hungry 

 foes, the nightingale and other birds of night ; it is opined by 

 others, that the insect's gift of brilliancy (like many of the like 

 sort bestowed upon mankind) is the very mean of her destruction, 

 the very lure and light by which her biped foes are assisted to 

 discover and devour her. 



Some people, again, have suggested that, whatsoever else its 

 purpose, the glowworm's luminary may be employed as a lamp 

 for her own supper- table, after having previously lent its aid in 

 the finding of her evening meal. It has been observed, indeed, 

 that, for the serving of both such uses, her light would have 

 seemed placed more conveniently at head than tail j but its 

 diffusion, we should think, is amply wide enough to render 

 this objection of little import. 



The LampyridfBj even of our northern climate, have 

 southern predilections, being never seen in the north of Scot- 

 land, and most universally abounding in the southern English 

 counties. 



To most of the dwellers in these her favourite resorts, the 

 person of our insect lamp-bearer, so -conspicuously displayed in 

 her own light, must have been, we should suppose, familiar (as 

 with ourselves) from the summer nights of childhood, from 

 that night, in particular, never to be forgot, which first brought 

 one of these shining mysteries within the compass of our 

 fingers and a box. While of other little creepers we yet 

 scarce knew the difference betwixt head and tail, the figure of 

 our first captive glowworm, as seen at night, and examined 

 next morning, almost before daylight served, was stamped 

 upon our memory ; and, had we never seen another since, we 

 should not forget her tiny head, and, as we called them, horns, 

 mocking our curious eye, as she just put forth and then with- 



