GLOW-WORMS, TERMITES, SHELLS 225 



After aljout ten minutes the snail had clearly given 

 up the struggle. Its efforts slowly died away. In 

 eight minutes more it was quiescent, and the glow- 

 worm withdrew its head, now covered in a dense mass 

 of snail-flesh and slime. It then commenced to clean 

 away the mucus from its head and limbs, and this 

 being complete, it again returned to its victim. Slowly 

 it mounted to its previous seat on the shell, and bury- 

 ing its head in the under surface of the snail's foot, it 

 began to devour the dying flesh. The brilliant light 

 now subsided to its normal glow, as though to mark 

 the end of this little tragedy of nature. Hour after 

 hour the Lampyris clung to its vanquished prey, and 

 not till fourteen hours had elapsed did it cease to feed 

 on the flesh which by then was decomposed and 

 putrid. 



Who would think that these pretty glow-worms 

 would join in so intense a battle ? The face of Nature 

 may deceive us, we see so much apparent peace. 

 The birds, the butterflies, the fishes of the sea, all the 

 brilliant tints and joyous notes seem to bear witness 

 to a life of happiness and concord. Yet how false is 

 such a picture. All is war and carnage ; greed and 

 cruelty are the ruthless weapons with which Nature 

 fights, and every living creature must be a victor or a 

 victim in the battle. Would that we could believe 

 that the little glow-worms, apparently so innocent and 

 gentle, were beautiful merely to be beautiful, and 

 glittered with a bright green starlight merely to illu- 

 minate the world around. But they play a sterner 

 part. They occupy a rough place in life's struggle. 

 They wage a cruel and relentless war. 



I pass now to another of these contests in which life 



