FLOWERS AND INSECTS 155 



had faded, though it still gave out a little 

 light ; but the sac which was whole glowed 

 as brightly, for aught I could see, as when 

 the animal wore it. Had I been a true 

 observer I would have sat up with those 

 relics and recorded the hour when the glow 

 disappeared. But I have a living to earn 

 for my family, and must sleep. In the 

 morning the remnants were taken to a 

 dark closet for inspection, but their fires 

 were absolutely cold. 



There was a tragedy on a daisy disk. 

 One of the fire-flies, or lightning-bugs (it 

 is not a fly, and its shine is not a bit like 

 lightning, so why not glow-bug?), was 

 eating or drinking when a large yellow- 

 brown spider pounced upon him, and so 

 an end. The fire- fly was lying on his back, 

 dead, in the grasp of the spider, who with 

 his hind legs seemed to retain his hold on 

 the flower while I shook it, keeping his 

 fangs buried in the abdomen of his victim. 

 I lifted the fellow to the window-sill, and 

 without relaxing his hold for an instant he 

 trotted off with the fly, as a dog will some- 

 times carry an object of nearly his own 



