C 259 ] 



THE FIRE-FLIES. 



THE antennas are thread-shaped. The thorax is 

 plain, somewhat orbicular, and conceals the head. 

 The segments of the abdomen terminate in folded 

 papillae. 



The female in most of the species is destitute of 

 wings ; and the larvaa, which feed chiefly on leaves^ 

 perfectly resemble her in appearance. 



THE GLOW-WORM *. 



The male Glow-worm is smaller than the female : 

 their heads are of the same shape, and equally con- 

 cealed by the plate of the thorax. The principal 

 difference between the sexes is that the abdomen of 

 the male is covered with brown wing-cases, sha- 

 greened, and marked longitudinally with two lines : 

 these are longer than the abdomen. The female is 

 wingless. 



Each sex is luminous, but in the male the light is 

 less brilliant, and confined to four points, two of 

 which are situated on each of the two last rings of 

 the abdomen. Among the crooked lanes, in every 

 hedge, the Glow-worm lights his gem, and, through 

 the dark, a moving radiance twinkles. 



Glow-worms are frequently met with towards 

 evening in the month of June, in woods and mea- 



* Lampyris noctiluca. Linn, 



8z 



