CHAPTER XIII 



THE GLOW-WORM 



Few insects in our climes vie in popular fame with the 

 Glow-worm, that curious little animal which, to celebrate 

 the little joys of life, kindles a beacon at its tail-end. 

 Who does not know it, at least by name? Who has not 

 seen it roam amid the grass, like a spark fallen from the 

 moon at its full? The Greeks of old called it Aa/wrovpis, 

 meaning, the bright-tailed. Science employs the same 

 term: it calls it the lantern-bearer, Lampyris noctilnca, 

 Lin. In this case the common name is inferior to the 

 scientific phrase, which, when translated, becomes both 

 expressive and accurate. 



In fact, we might easily cavil at the word " worm/' 

 The Lampyris is not a worm at all, not even in general 

 appearance. He has six short legs, which he well knows 

 how to use; he is a gad-about, a trot-about. In the 

 adult state the male is correctly garbed in wing-cases, like 

 the true Beetle that he is. The female is an ill-favored 

 thing who knows naught of the delights of flying: all 

 her life long she retains the larval shape, which, for the 

 rest, is similar to that of the male, who himself is imper- 

 fect so long as he has not achieved the maturity that 

 comes with pairing-time. Even in this initial stage the 

 word " worm " is out of place. We French have the 

 expression " Naked as a worm " to point to the lack of 



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