Dr. AfzeliusVt Obfervations on the Genus Paufus. 261 



Some few days after, coming into my room from fupper with a 

 light in my hand, and having put it upon the table, there inftantly 

 fell another down from the ceiling. The third I was favoured 

 with by the then Governor, Mr. Dawes, who informed me that it 

 had dropt down before him on the table, juft when he had entered 

 his room and was going to write. The other three which 1 afterwards 

 collected, were alfo got upon fimilar occafions ; and from thence I 

 thought I had fome reafon to conclude, that it is a nocturnal 

 animal, that it becomes benumbed by candle light, that it lives 

 in wood and prefers new built houfes, &c. After the end of 

 February I never faw any more. 



The laft which I caught I put into a box, and left confined there 

 for a day or two. One evening going to look at it, and happening 

 by chance to ftand between the light and the box, fo that my 

 fhadow fell upon the infect, I obferved, to my great aftonifhment, 

 the globes of the antennae, like two lanthorns, fpreading a dim 

 phofphoric light. This fingular phenomenon roufed my curiofity, 

 and, after having examined it feveral times that night, I refolved to 

 repeat my refearches the following day. But the animal, being ex- 

 hausted, died before the morning, and the light difappeared. And 

 afterwards, not being able to find any more fpecimens, I was pre- 

 vented from afcertaining the fact by reiterated experiments at dif- 

 ferent times ; which I therefore mufl recommend to other Natural- 

 ifts, who may have an opportunity of vifiting Sierra Leone, requeu- 

 ing that they would particularly inquire into this curious circum- 

 ftance. 



I fhall now only add fome few remarks, (hewing in what manner 

 this new fpecies mod efTentially differs from the old one. 



Not being quite fo broad, it looks as if it were longer, and more 



cylindrical. 



