LANTERN-FLY. 
146 
in a fright, at seeing a flame of fire come out of it; 
and as many animals as came out, so many flames 
of fire appeared. When we found this to be the 
case, we recovered from our fright, and again 
collected the insects, highly admiring their splendid 
appearance.” 
Dr. Darwin, in a note to some lines relative to 
luminous insects, in his beautiful poem the Loves 
of the Plants, makes Madam Merian affirm that 
she drew and finished her figure of the insect by 
its own light. On examination however, I cannot 
find the least authority for this declaration on the 
part of Madam Merian, who relates only what is 
above stated, with the observation that the light 
of one of the insects is sufficient to read a common 
news-paper by. It may be proper to add, that this 
celebrated lady falls into a mistake in supposing 
that a species of Cicada, which she represents on 
the same plate with the Lantern-Fly, was its larva; 
and that it gradually was transformed 'into the 
Fulgora. This information indeed she merely 
gives as the popular report, but at the same time 
takes the liberty of representing the insect in its 
supposed half-complete state, witli the head of the 
Fulgora, and the wings and body of the Cicada. 
I cannot conclude the description of this species 
without giving due praise to the exquisite repre- 
sentation 'of Roesel, who has engraved it both with 
its wings closed and expanded. Degeer observes 
that the beautiful colours with which Roesel’s 
figures are adorned were not perceptible either in 
the specimens examined by himself, or in those 
