The Glow- Worm 



flexible abdomen, turn it to one side, turn it 

 to the other, jerk it in every direction. In 

 this way, the search-light cannot fail to 

 gleam, at one moment or another, before the 

 eyes of every male who goes a-wooing in 

 the neighbourhood, whether on the ground 

 or in the air. 



It is very like the working of the revolving 

 mirror used in catching Larks. If station- 

 ary, the little contrivance would leave the 

 bird indifferent; turning and breaking up its 

 light in rapid flashes, it excites it. 



While the female Glow-worm has her 

 tricks for summoning her swains, the male, 

 on his side, is provided with an optical ap- 

 paratus suited to catch from afar the least 

 reflection of the calling-signal. His corse- 

 let expands into a shield and overlaps his 

 head considerably in the form of a peaked 

 cap or eye-shade, the object of which appears 

 to be to limit the field of vision and concen- 

 trate the view upon the luminous speck to be 

 discerned. Under this arch are the two 

 eyes, which are relatively enormous, exceed- 

 ingly convex, shaped like a skull-cap and con- 

 tiguous to the extent of leaving only a narrow 

 groove for the insertion of the antennae. 

 This double eye, occupying almost the whole 

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