318 OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS. 



GLOW-WORMS By observing two glow-worms which were 

 brought from the field to the bank in the garden, it appeared 

 to us, that these little creatures put out their lamps between 

 eleven and twelve, and shone no more for the rest of the 

 night. * 



Male glow-worms, attracted by the light of the candles, 

 come into the parlour. 



EARTH-WORMS. Earth-worms make their casts most in 

 mild weather, about March and April ; they do not lie torpid 

 in winter, but come forth when there is no frost. They travel 

 about in rainy nights, as appears from their sinuous tracks on 

 the soft muddy soil, perhaps in search of food. 



When earth-worms lie out a-nights on the turf, though they 

 extend their bodies a great way, they do not quite leave their 

 holes, but keep the ends of their tails fixed therein, so that, on 

 the least alarm, they can retire with precipitation under the 

 earth. Whatever food falls within their reach when thus 

 extended, they seem to be content with, such as, blades of 

 grass, straws, fallen leaves, the ends of which they often draw 

 into their holes ; even in copulation their hinder parts never 

 quit their holes : so that no two, except they lie within reach 

 of each other's bodies, can have any commerce of that kind ; 

 but, as every individual is a hermaphrodite, there is no 

 difficulty in meeting with a mate, as would be the case were 

 they of different sexes. 



SNAILS AND SLUGS. The shelless snails called slugs are 

 in motion all the winter, in mild weather, and commit great 

 depredations on garden plants, and much injure the green 

 wheat, the loss of which is imputed to earth-worms ; while 

 the shelled snail, the <pgggo//cog, does not come forth at all till 

 about April 10th, and not only lays itself up pretty early in 



their species, and soon after perish. They were black, somewhat like 

 the small black ant, and had four wings. I saw also, at another place, 

 a large sort which were yellowish. On the 8th of September, 1785, I 

 again observed the same circumstance of a vast number of these insects 

 flying near the tops of the elms, and dropping to the ground. 



On the 2d of March, 1777, I saw great numbers of ants come out of 

 the ground. MARKWICK. 



* The male glow-worm yields light as well as the female, but much 

 fainter. The eggs are also, in some degree, luminous. The light, which 

 the worm has power to extinguish at pleasure, proceeds from brilliant spots 

 on the three last rings of the body, and on the tail ; the luminous matter 

 is a yellow substance contained in the vesicles ; and when these vesicles 

 are removed entire, they shine for some time afterwards ; but if lacerated, 

 they are extinguished. ED. 



