May — June^ 1832. glowworms. 



35 



some time : their tails are very singular organs^ for they act, 

 by a well-fitted contrivance, as suckers, or organs of attach- 

 ment, and likewise as reservoirs for saliva, or some such fluid. 

 I repeatedly fed them on raw meat ; and I invariably observed, 

 that every now and then the extremity of the tail was applied 

 to the mouth, and a drop of fluid exuded on the meat, which 

 was then in the act of being consumed. The tail, notwith- 

 standing so much practice, does not seem to be able to find 

 its way to the mouth ; at least the neck was always touched 

 first, and apparently as a guide. 



When we were at Bahia, an elater {Pyrophorus luminosus, 

 lUig.) seemed the most common luminous insect. The 

 light in this case was also rendered more brilHant by irrita- 

 tion. I amused myself one day by observing the springing 

 powers of this insect, which have not,* as it appears to me, 

 been properly described. The elater, when placed on its 

 back and preparing to spring, moved its head and thorax 

 backwards, so that the pectoral spine was drawn out, and 

 rested on the edge of its sheath. The same backward move- 

 ment being continued, the spine, by the full action of the 

 muscles, was bent like a spring ; and the insect at this 

 moment rested on the extremity of its head and elytra. 

 The effort being suddenly relaxed, the head and thorax flew 

 up, and, in consequence, the base of the elytra struck the 

 supporting surface with such force, that the insect by the 

 reaction was jerked upwards to the height of one or two 

 inches. The projecting points of the thorax, and the sheath 

 of the spine, served to steady the whole body during the 

 spring. In the descriptions which I have read, suflicient 

 stress does not appear to have been laid on the elasticity of 

 the spine : so sudden a spring could not be the result of 

 simple muscular contraction, without the aid of some 

 mechanical contrivance. 



On several occasions I enjoyed some short but most 

 pleasant excursions in the neighbouring country. One day 



* Kirby's Entomology, vol. ii., p. .'J 1 7. 



