28 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Further investigations were instituted at the end of 1886, when 

 I discovered a luminous pupa suspended in one of the webs, which 

 I have since several times reared from the glow-worm, and which 

 is consequently the real pupa. It is a curious animal, and fur- 

 nished with a large process on the back of the thorax, which is 

 attached to the web, and holds the pupa suspended in the middle 

 of the niche previously inhabited by the larva. The light is 

 emitted from the posterior segment of the pupa, but is much 

 fainter than in the larva, and a distinct organ is not apparent. 

 It is frequently suppressed for days together. This pupa died in 

 a few days, and all the larvae then under observation also died. 



Larvae were again procured in August, 1888, but this time I 

 did not succeed in getting any of them as far as the pupa stage. 

 I should mention that the larvae are only to be obtained by 

 walking up the bed of the stream, in the big gully of the Botanical 

 Gardens, at night, with a bull's-eye lantern. A piece of thin 

 stick is rapidly nitroduced behind the larva, as soon as it is 

 detected, which always adheres to it, and is thus taken away, web 

 and all, and carried home in a tin box, with damp moss, &c. 



On September 1st, 1888, I obtained another supply of larvae, 

 placing them this time in a large bell-glass, with stones and ferns, 

 the bottom of the glass having about one inch of water in it : this 

 I conceived would closely resemble their natural habitat. During 

 all my expeditions I always examined a great number of the webs, 

 and could never find any remains of insects entangled. I also 

 noticed that the largest larvae were always concealed in the deepest 

 niches in the bank, and frequently behind large cobwebs, where 

 they would stand a poor chance of capturing insects. I also think 

 that there must be a very great mortality among the larvae, judging 

 from the number of minute ones always observed, in natural con- 

 ditions, compared with large ones. On December 21st I found 

 that two of the larvae had changed into pupae resembling the one 

 I found two years before. These unfortunately became mouldy, 

 and died ; and it was not until the following April that I suc- 

 ceeded in rearing the true fly, which I discovered, on the morning 

 of the 4th, standing beside its old pupa-skin. Two enlarged 

 drawings were then made, and forwarded to Mr. Skuse, of Sydney, 

 and Baron Osten-Sacken, of Heidelberg, Germany. Both these 

 gentlemen had been previously furnished with specimens of the 

 larvae in alcohol. They then expressed their opinion that the 

 fly, of which I sent a drawing, probably did 7iot result from the 

 luminous larva, and that it would be desirable to postpone pub- 

 lication until another specimen had been reared. Convinced 

 though I was of the accuracy of the observation of April 4th, I 

 determined to verify it, and again procured larvae, which all died. 

 On July 10th, 1890, I got about twenty large larvae, spending 

 upwards of three hours in the bed of the stream : two of these 

 changed during August into pupae, one of which died, but the 



