228 INSECT MISCELLANIES. 



guide to its food, or as a sign to nightingales where 

 to find their prey *. It would have been well how- 

 ever, before theorizing, to ascertain that the nightin- 

 gale feeds at all during the night, which we much 

 doubt, and that it feeds upon glow-worms, which we 

 also doubt. We are, at all events, certain that the 

 glow-worm never extinguishes its light when it is 

 alarmed or even seized, and hence one portion of the 

 theories must be given up. 



In a still more splendid luminous insect, the fire- 

 fly (Elater noctilucus) of tropical countries, we are 



' Fire-fly (Elator noctilucus'). 



not informed whether the light is in any way con- 

 nected with pairing, though it is not improbable it 

 may be for some other unknown purpose. The insect 

 itself is one of the click-beetles (Elateridte, LEACH), 

 several others of which are also luminous. Southey 

 has given a spirited and accurate description of this 

 fire-fly : 



* Experimental Researches. 



