C’mon baby, light my ass
C’mon baby, light my ass
Let’s roll around in the grass
C’mon baby, light my ass

I’ll never look at fireflies the same way again.
Thanks for the article, well-written as always.

After a few problematic shots (it’s nearly impossible to frame a shot in twilight), I had a crazy idea. My flash charge indicator was a 2-stage affair, and when charging it was the same colour that the fireflies were flashing. So I turned the camera around and showed a firefly my LED.

Well! The poor firefly was beside himself (herself?)! I could hardly see a thing, but my hand was on the flash and the firefly was all over that flash unit. It was like being attacked by a butterfly. No danger for me, and I’m a tiny bit worried for the firefly.

I had always assumed the the LED colour was the sole attractant. However your article indicates that I must have hit upon a compatible blink interval too. That was a complete fluke because there’s no way for the camera operator to control that.

I agree with you completely, but I don’t think Simon and Schuster – Dawkins’s publisher – would be thrilled, especially when they gave him a substantial advance for this. Am sorry that your book is coming out almost two weeks after Dawkins’s.

Thanks,

John

This is a bit off topic, but I just looked at the Amazon.com webpage for your forthcoming book and it doesn’t have a publication date. For your sake I hope it’s not due out this fall since it will be competing against Dawkins’s new book.

Best,

John

CZ: John, if you scroll down on the Amazon page, the Tangled Bank is due out October 1. We’ve just handed over the files to the printer, so I think we’re actually going to hit that date. As for Dawkins’s book, which is out on September 22, I think Amazon should offer one of their two-book-package-deals!