is attribute, even though many of them
might be quite harmless.

Lastly, it has been suggested that the phosphorescence in the female
glow-worm may be designed to attract the male; and that it will
actually have this effect may readily be taken for granted.
Observation shows that the male glow-worm is very apt to be attracted
by a light. Gilbert White of Selborne mentions that they, attracted by
the light of the candles, came into his parlor. Another observer
states that by the same light he captured as many as forty male
glow-worms in one night.

[Illustration]

COMETS

(FROM MARVELS OF THE HEAVENS.)

BY CAMILLE FLAMMARION.

"Je viens vous annoncer une grande nouvelle:
Nous l'avons, en dormant, madame, echappe belle.
Un monde pres de nous a passe tout du long,
Est chu tout au travers de notre tourbillon;
Et s'il eut en chemin rencontre notre terre,
Elle eut ete brisee en morceaux comme verre."
MOLIERE.

[Illustration]

This announcement of Trissontin's to Philaminte, who begins the parody
on the fears caused by the appearance of comets, would not have been a
parody four or five centuries ago. These tailed bodies, which suddenly
come to light up the heavens, were for long regarded with terror, like
so many warning signs of divine wrath. Men have always thought
themselves much more important than they really are in the universal
order; they have had the vanity to pretend that the whole creation was
made for them, whilst in reality the whole creation does not suspect
their existence. The Earth we inhabit is only one of the smallest
worlds; and therefore it can scarcely be for it alone that all the
wonders of the heavens, of which the immense majority remains hidden
from it, were created. In this disposition of man to see in himself
the centre and the end of everything, it was easy indeed to consider
the steps of nature as unfolded in his favor; and if some unusual
phenomenon presented itself, it was considered to be without doubt a
warning from Heaven. If these illusions had had no other result than
the amelioration of the more timorous of the community one would
regret these ages of ignorance; but not only were these fancied
warnings of no use, seeing that once the danger passed, man returned
to his former state; but they also kept up among people imaginary
terrors, and revived the fatal resolutions caused by the fear of the
end of the world.