NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
215 
names appears to me a mere quibble at the most. It is certainly not the first nor 
the twentieth time that it has been raised. Hut is it not a sheer waste of valuable 
time ? What we do w.ant to know is the ecology and ihe life-story of this creature 
and of many others equally as common. 
12 S, Mil, rjield Koad, AT. IF. J. W. Wii.i.iAMs, M.R.C..S., F.L.S. 
[No doubt Dr. Williams meant to write Dyliscus ; but on referring to his 
manuscript we find Dyitiiui, a lapsus calami. (Questions of nomenclature are 
admittedly of less importance than the facts of natural history, but they are 
neither quibbles nor waste of time. Accuracy is a primary element in all science ; 
accurate nomenclature is often essential for identification. No doubt the “ rose 
by any other name would smell as sweet,” but that is no reason for calling a 
Gloire de Dijon a Marechal Niel. At the moment, moreover, lexicons and 
grammars were nearer to my hand than water-beetles. — Ei). A'^.W.] 
175. Glow-worm. —With regard to the “glow-worm” mentioned in the 
“ Natural History Queries” in this month’s Nature Notes, the following ma)' 
be of interest : — 
I remember catching a little beetle, which, when in difficulties, showed a 
greenish light. I discovered this fact one night. I am speaking of nearly thirty 
years ago, when a small beetle Hew into my room. I caught it and threw it into 
the water in a basin, when it at once displayed a wee greenish light. I kept the 
little creature in a tumbler with some grass for two or three days and saw its light 
on several occasions. I caught similar beetles in my room more than once 
that same year, and made them show their light by putting them into the water. 
They used to fly in through my bedroom window. I always imagined they were 
the male glow-worm. I have not seen these little beetles for many years, and 
fear it is now too late in the year to try and find them. It was in this county 
(Derbyshire) that I noticed them, and we used to see a few glow-worms about in 
the garden in those days. 
The Gables, IVirksivorth. C. E. Meade Wai.do. 
176. Ants. — The incidents related by Mr. E. R. Colbron ( 162 ) may often 
be witnessed in places frequented by the wood ant {Formica rufd). This ant is 
of large size and may possibly have been the species noticed by ]\Ir. Colbron. It 
abounds in a coppice some distance from my residence here, and I have often been 
amused at its industry and perseverance. Its nest is a heaped-up structure of fir- 
spines, scraps of bark, sticks, leaves, pieces of fern-fronds, &c. The numerous 
inhabitants are in almost ceaseless motion, travelling to a great height up the 
neighbouring trees, searching the bushes and undergrowth, and making excursions 
generally over the entire neighbourhood. It is amusing to see them returning to 
the nest laden with all kinds of animal substances — living leaf-roller caterpillars, 
beetles, bees, grubs, flies, aphides, and frequently dead, or parts of dead, comrades. 
Worms are often attacked, and dead moles and toads skeletonised. I was greatly 
amused on one occasion to see one of these ants pulling a woodlouse about, which 
was rolled up in the usual hedgehog fashion. The ant after a time left it, and 
the crustacean began to unroll, when another ant rushed viciously at it, and on 
the woodlouse curling up again the ant was caught between the shelly rings. A 
tussle then ensued, the ant extricating itself easily enough, and, by way of revenge, 
pulling, pushing, and bundling the woodlouse about in all directions. The 
strength of the ant was surprising. 
Fyfield, near Ahingdott. W. H. Warner. 
177. Ants and Caterpillars. — Reading “Ants’ Undertakings” in the 
September issue of Nature Notes, I was reminded of a little ant-and-caterpillar 
incident I witnessed in this district last June. Pendant, with many others, from 
an oak-tree was a green caterpillar swaying in the breeze at the end of its self- 
spun, silken descending rope. My eye caught sight of something adhering to it. 
Curiosity prompted me to see what it was ; and, on letting the caterpillar swing 
against my hand, was much surprised to find the object was a red ant {Formica 
ritfa). The ant did not relax its tenacious grip, though the two were kept in my 
hand several minutes. On getting out my pocket lens to see how the ant had 
fastened on to its prey, the two wriggled off, and I did not trouble to take them 
up again, nor to release the caterpillar, as most likely irreparable injury had been 
