NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
159 
Swallows. — A pair of swallows have this week honoured me by bringing 
their young brood into my garden, where they fed them and where they taught 
them to use their wings. The young ones perched on the apple trees and the 
parent birds flew round and round and brought them food. It was a pretty sight. 
E. Price-Sayer. 
The Glow-worm. — Can any one tell me what is the natural food of the 
glow-worm ? I once kept one of these wonderful little insects in a glass, supply- 
ing it with grass and earth and a few drops of water occasionally. It did not 
appear to touch the grass, but seemed to appreciate the moisture. Each evening 
at dusk it would light its lamp with the greatest punctuality, and climbing to the 
top of the tallest grass blade, would wave I he light from side to side. The light 
it gave was sufficient for me to tell the time easily by my watch, and also to 
enable me to see my way upstairs without the aid of a candle. It was almost as 
punctual in putting out its lamp (generally about ii o’clock), as it was in lighting 
it. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about this glow-worm was that after 
it was dead the light continued to appear, though in a very much less degree, at 
exactly the same time that it did when the insect was alive. I don’t think there 
could have been the least doubt as to its being dead. There was no sign of life 
whatever. It was on its back, perfectly motionless, and was, in fact, dry and 
shrivelled. If placed in a dark room or cupboard in the day time there was no 
light, any more than there was when it was alive. The light only appeared at 
just the same time that it did when the insect was living. This continued for 
some nights, the light growing gradually less and less, until it disappeared 
altogether. 
C. E. C. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
H. E. W. — The suggestion is, if possible, even less tenable than the other to 
which we referred. 
C. C. — Certainly there are singing birds in Italy: we never heard nightingales, 
for example, in greater perfection than in a small group of trees near the 
Coliseum. We cannot reply privately to questions addressed to us. 
E. J. T. — Common Valerian { Valeriana officinalis). The demands upon our 
space would not allow your suggestion to be carried out, even if such lists were 
likely to be of general interest, which we do not think would be the case ; and 
want of time prevents us from adopting your other suggestion. 
S. E. — Please read Rule 5. 
B. W. S. — Please read Rule 6. 
M. G. — You will find articles on ostrich feathers in Nature Notes, 1890, 
39; 1892, 217 ; we can add nothing to the information there given. 
J. L. B. — Specimen too far gone for naming. 
E. S. — Henbane {Hyoscyamus niger). See Rule 5. 
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