190 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE GLOWWORM 
(LAMPYRIS NOCTILUCA, li.) 
By RicHarp Etuuirst, F.L.S., Superintendent of the Marine 
Biological Station, Millport. 
On the west side of this Station is a rather marshy field, 
about three hundred yards long, in which Glowworms are 
plentiful in some years; the southern boundary of this field 
is a road, outside of which is some rough waste ground about a 
quarter of a mile across, known as Farland Point. The first 
indication of Lampyris is generally about mid-April, when larve 
are found crossing the road; this continues during May, and the 
majority of such larve seem to be journeying from the Point to 
the field. 
In June the female Glowworms begin to shine; towards the 
end of June the males appear, sometimes in swarms. After 
mating, the female shines less brightly, and soon disappears. In 
September larve are again found on the road, and now the 
majority seem to head from the field to the Point. A few 
females may occur quite late in the year; on Nov. Ist, 1908, I 
found a belated female glowing feebly, the night being mild 
and close. 
Once a female has been located, she can almost certainly be 
found at the same spot night after night, until she mates ; owing 
to this habit of taking up a stance the same individual can be 
kept under nightly observation. 
The real object of these notes is to record the occurrence of 
the male Glowworms in swarms, and the results of a few experi- 
ments carried out during their presence. 
June 26th, 1908, was a bright, hot day, followed by a close 
evening. On returning home about 11 p.m. I noticed a number 
of insects outside the window ; in my sitting-room I found over 
fifty male Glowworms on the table, or hanging listlessly on the 
walls. On one pane (2 ft. by 3 ft.) of a window facing west 
I counted exactly sixty. On going into the field I could not see 
some of the females which I had had under observation for 
