female of a winged beetle. The gentleman is rather smaller than his lady, and, besides his wings and wing-covers, is possessed of a pair of very large eyes, as well as the other characteristics of his order. His lady is not so well provided with organs of sight, and has no means of flight. But then, her brilliancy! True, it is in her tail-she shines at the wrong end, so to speak-but she is to all intents and purposes a lady of light and leading, for her burning taper leads her lover to her side. His large eyes have spied out her whereabouts, and his wings carry him to her. The glow-worm is, then, a lady. The male insect has very little luminosity-so little, indeed, that it is sometimes said he possesses none at all. Close examination, however, will reveal four tiny faintly-shining points at the end of his abdomen. The last three segments of the female's body are all aglow with a light, which, it is believed, its owner can extinguish or render more vivid at pleasure. In the daytime we see nothing but a pale sulphur-coloured patch. At night, when the insect wanders forth in search of food, she carries her own lantern, which serves the several purposes of revealing her presence to her lover, dazzling other insects who but for her brilliancy would devour her, and shedding a light around her whereby she may see any dainty morsel specially suited to her palate. It is supposed that the myriad stars of earth, shining in the damp warm moss and grass, put out their lights at twelve o'clock at night, and retire, like Cinderella from the ball, as ordinary insects devoid of their shining splendour. It is not known of what material the spark is composed. If it be removed from the insect's body it remains brilliant for a few moments; if the owner's head be cut off, the light burns for a considerable time afterwards; if the scintillating particles be mixed with hot water, they shine more brightly, and if they be put in a vessel of hydrogen gas they sometimes explode. It is sufficient for the well-being of the world at large to know that the glow-worm's lamp is harmless, and is not capable of igniting other materials. If it burned like a fire we should be in danger of having our trees and forests and the whole of our fair-looking world reduced to ashes. But this is not the case. Nature supplies her offspring with the necessaries of life and the means of protection, but she keeps everything within bounds, and does not endow any one set of creatures with sufficient power to demolish the remainder of creation. The glow-worm is a perfect insect of its kind. In its grub and chrysalis states the luminosity is visible, but shines very faintly. The larvæ of both sexes are of great service to man, because they live upon snails, devouring them with the insatiable appetites possessed by all grubs. Snails commit great ravages in the gardener's domain, though they also do a certain amount of good when kept within limits. The grub of the glowworm assists in reducing their numbers. In the imago state life is sustained by feeding on the tender herbage. To prevent a too great consumption of the verdure, the birds help to thin the numbers of the glow-worm; so that everywhere we find a balance is preserved. Sometimes a pestilence is caused by vast numbers of destroying insects, but in our own little island we seldom experience any very serious results from such LASTING BUT A DAY. HELIOS, the sun, is represented in Greek mythology as driving his flaming chariot across the heavens every day, rising in the morning from the eastern ocean, and descending in the evening below the western horizon. It is reported that he had a son whom he named Phaethon, which signifies light. This youth was rather a favourite with his father, and one day presumed on his preference so far as to demand the honour of driving the fiery chariot and horses through space. Helios hesitated about granting such a request, but at last gave way, being unable to resist the pleadings of the boy and his mother. The winged steeds |