. Animal physiology. Physiology, Comparative; Physiology, Comparative. 306 GLOW-WORMS. America, whilst others are widely diffused through the Old World. In most of these, the light is most strongly displayed by the female, which is usually destitute of wings, so that it might be mistaken for a larva. The species of our own country is known as the Glotc-vcorm. " Who that has ever enjoyed the luxury of a summer evening's walk in the country, in the southern parts of our island, but has viewed with admiration these stars of the earth and diamonds of the night? And if, living like me in a dis
. Animal physiology. Physiology, Comparative; Physiology, Comparative. 306 GLOW-WORMS. America, whilst others are widely diffused through the Old World. In most of these, the light is most strongly displayed by the female, which is usually destitute of wings, so that it might be mistaken for a larva. The species of our own country is known as the Glotc-vcorm. " Who that has ever enjoyed the luxury of a summer evening's walk in the country, in the southern parts of our island, but has viewed with admiration these stars of the earth and diamonds of the night? And if, living like me in a district where it is rarely to be met with, the first time you saw this insect chanced to be, as it was in my case, one of those delightful evenings which an English summer rarely yields, when not a breeze disturbs the balmy air, and i every sense is joy,' and hundreds of these radiant worms, studding their mossy couch with mild effulgence, were presented to your wondering eye in the course of a quarter of a mile,—you could not help associating with the name of glow-worm the most pleasing recollections. No wonder that an insect which chiefly exhibits itself on occasions so interesting, and whose economy is so remarkable, should have afforded exquisite images and illus- trations to those poets who have cultivated Natural ; * 399. The light of the glow-worm issues from the under sur- face of the three last abdominal rings. The luminous matter, which consists of little granules, is contained in minute sacs, covered with a transparent horny lid ; and this exhibits a num- ber of flattened surfaces, so contrived as to diffuse the light in the most advantageous manner. The sacs are mostly composed of a close network of finely divided air-tubes (§. 320) ; which ramify through every part of the granular substance; and it appears that the access of air through these is a Fig axd Female Glow- neceSsary condition of the pllOSpllO- J * ± rescence. For if the a
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