2l6 TiMEHRI. 



It is unnecessary further to multiply quotations on the 

 subje6l. 



The glow-worm is not the only luminous creature 

 found in the British Isles. Some species of centipedes 

 are said to emit a phosphorescent light, and on one 

 occasion in the West of Ireland, we observed some 

 brilliant creatures when driving home on a dark night, 

 lying in the middle of the road. On investigation they 

 turned out apparently to be common earth worms, 

 though I believe it is a moot point whether the worms 

 are ever in themselves luminous, or if the appearance is 

 caused by the centipede, which preys on earth worms, 

 having crawled over and left some portion of its phospho- 

 rescence on them. If we leave England to go further south, 

 how exquisite it is to see the myriads of winged gems flash- 

 ing their minute lanterns in the meadows of the Tyrol, or 

 the lowlands of Lombardy. No wonder the Italian 

 peasant considers fire-flies to be spirits arisen from their 

 graves, though it is strange that the dread with which all 

 spiritual appearances have become invested amongst 

 civilized people, makes the ignorant contadino shun the 

 lonely apparition with terror. In the Tyrol, fire-flies 

 are known amongst the country people as "Johannes 

 Kafer," that is " John's Beetles," as after St. John's Day 

 in Midsummer they are no more seen till the following 

 year. 



But going still further, if we are fortunate enough to 

 find ourselves in the tropics, how unspeakably beautiful 

 is a moonless night in the West Indies, when mountain, 

 forest, and plain are throbbing with lights of various 

 sizes and intensities, from the minute fire-fly of about f of 

 an inch in length, to the splendid " cucuyo" or fire- 



