The Glow-Worm 



more particularly the female, who, while re- 

 taining her larval shape, becomes marriage- 

 able and glows at her best during the hottest 

 part of summer. The lighting-apparatus 

 occupies the last three segments of the ab- 

 domen. On each of the first two, it takes 

 the form, on the ventral surface, of a wide 

 belt covering almost the whole of the arch; 

 on the third, the luminous part is much less 

 and consists simply of two small crescent- 

 shaped markings, or rather two spots which 

 shine through to the back and are visible both 

 above and below the animal. Belts and 

 spots emit a glorious white light, delicately 

 tinged with blue. The general lighting of 

 the Glow-worm thus comprises two groups: 

 first, the wide belts of the two segments pre- 

 ceding the last; secondly, the two spots of 

 the final segments. The two belts, the ex- 

 clusive attribute of the marriageable female, 

 are the part richest in light: to glorify her 

 wedding, the future mother dons her bright- 

 est gauds ; she lights her two resplendent 

 scarves. But, before that, from the time of 

 the hatching, she had only the modest rush- 

 light of the stern. This efflorescence of light 

 is the equivalent of the final metamorphosis, 

 which is usually represented by the gift of 

 wings and flight. Its brilliance heralds the 

 17 



