LANTERN-FLY. 
145 
and bent slightly upwards: the ground-colour is 
an elegant yellow, with a strong tinge of green in 
some parts, and marked with numerous bright 
red-brown variegations in the form of stripes and 
spots : the wings are very large, of a yellow 
colour, most elegantly varied with brown undula- 
tions and spots, and the lower pair are decorated 
by a very large eye-shaped spot on tli^ middle of 
each, the iris or border of the spot being red, and 
the centre half red and half semitransparent Avhite : 
the head or lantern is pale yellow, with longitudi- 
nal red stripes. This beautiful insect is a native 
of Surinam and many other parts of South- Ame- 
rica, and during the night diffuses so strong a 
phosphoric splendor from its head or lantern that 
it may be employed for the purpose of a candle or 
torch 5 and it is said tltat three or four of the in- 
sects, tied to the top of a stick, are frequently used 
travellers for that purpose. The celebrated 
Madam Merian, in her work on the Insects of 
Surinam, gives a very agreeable account of the 
surprize into which she was thrown by the first 
view of the flashes of light proceeding from these 
Insects. “ The Indians once brought me,” says 
she, ‘‘ before I knew that they shone by night, a 
number of these Lantern-Flies, which I shut up in 
a large wooden box. In the night they made 
such a noise that I awoke in a fright, and ordered 
a light to be brought; not knowing from whence 
the noise proceeded. As soon as we found that 
it came from the box, we opened it ; but were still 
much more alarmed, and let it fall to the ground 
V. VI. r. I. 10 
