f
p n sin g particulars o f a specimen o f it from Peru.* Her account has, however, been
generally believed since the missionaries/ in countries whicli produce those insects’ have
confirmed her acoouut. It is admitted that the C h hm e Fulgora has an illuminated
a^ iea rance in the night. ‘ The foreheads o f many Fulgoraj (especia lly those found in
China) emit a lively shining light in the night-time, which, according to some authors, is
sufficient to read b y .’— Y ea ts. %
“ The ligh t o f the Fulgorte is generally imagined to issue from the trunk, or
elongated projection o f the foreliead; but Roesel offers a conjecture on the light o f the
Fulgora Laternaria, which, on further investigation, may enable naturalists to determine
whether the light is entirely produced by an innate property o f the trunk, or receives
additional splendour from some external cause. H e notices a white farinaceous substance
on several parts o f the wings and body as well as the trunk, which, he observes
looks like the decayed wood which shines at night. W e mention this conjecture o f
Roesel, though the same occurred to us before we perused his observations. W e have
invariably found a similar white powder on other insects o f this genus, but usually upon
the trunk only. The remarks o f Roesel were necessarily very limited, two species o f the
hulgora; only being then known. W e possess twelve distinct species, and have made
drssections and observations on several o th e rs; from all which we are inclined to imagine
tliem into a wooden b o x , w ith o u t be ing aware o f tl.eir sh ining a t n ig h t; b u t o ne n ig h t, b e ing aw akened by an
proc e eded, f l e soon perceived th a t ,t o n gm a ted in th e b o x ; we o p ened with some m qnie tude . b u t were still
m ore ala rmed a fte r opening it, a n d le ttin g it fall o n th e g ro n n d , for u f la m e a p p e a red to issue from it, which
seemed to receiye add itio n a l lustre a s often a s an o th e r Insect flew o u t o f it. W h en we observed this some time
«
• C n cujns Pe ru v ian n s. “ T h a t which, beside th e figure o f th e h e ad , is m o st wouderful in this in se c t, is th e
sh in ,n g pro p e rty o f th e same p a r t, whereby it looks in th e n ig h t like a lan te rn , so th a t two o r th re e o f these
fastened to a stick , o r otherwise conveniently disposed of, will give sufficient lig h t to those who trav e l o r walk
m th e n ig h t. G rew. M u s e um Re rjalis S o c ie ta tis , p . 158.
mais’ ib v 7 n ' i , r ° ' ' l 1“ "»'■« d 'é té ne je tte n t q u 'n n e foible lueur ;
mais ils y en a d an s les In d e s nnodemes qn. r é p a n d e n t u n é c la t trés-vif. Ce so n t, p our ainsi dire, des phosphore s
leurma- ^ ( “ “ ' ’1- “ ‘« f“ * dans leurs maisons e t dehors d aucu n e au tre lumière. Lorsqu’ils m a rch en t de n u it, ils en a tta c h e n t deu x aux gros
doigts d u pied, e t en p o rten t u n à la main. Ces insectes rép an d en t u n c si g ra n d e c la rté , q u e pa r leu r m fy e n
on p e u t lire, e cn re , e t faire d an s u n e cham bre to u te s les au tre s choses néc e ssa ire s.” Lesse r. L iv 2 c ,3 r e j 8
Le tr a it ra p p o rte p a r le P . rm T e r t u u dans son H isto ire des A n tille s , an ro it bien d h ê tre c ité il d it avoir
lu son breviare à la c la rté d 'u n d e ces ve rs-luisans.”
: Yeats. In s titu tio n s o f E ntomologv.