S68 Insect Miscellanies, 



I observed glowworms in full light on the 1st of October, 

 as I passed between Deal and Dover ; and I recollect to have 

 once seen one in this county (Warwickshire) shining bright, 

 in a very stormy night, either in November or the end of 

 October. I had no opportunity, in either of these cases, of 

 examining the insects ; but would ask whether these late- 

 shining examples may not possibly be a distinct species. Of 

 iampyris splendidula, a British species with which I am 

 not acquainted, I see it stated, in the Elements of Natural 

 Histon/y that " it disperses its light chiefly in rainy weather." 



Page 229. : — 



" We are not aware that any native insect is luminous besides the glow- 

 worm, and the electric centipede (^colopendra electrica), which is by no 

 means uncommon, though its light is seldom seen, in consequence of its 

 living in holes, or under ground, from which it is seldom roused during 

 the night. We have, however, more than once seep it in out-houses, or 

 crawling along a pathway, upon which it sometimes leaves a track of phos- 

 phoric matter that may be lifted. On two different occasions we collected 

 some of this, but it disappeared, probably by evaporation, before we could 

 subject it to chemical analysis." 



Though I must have frequently seen the insect, I never but 

 once witnessed its luminous appearance. It was in the autumn : 

 I was sitting at table after dusk, and having opened an apri- 

 cot, was just on the point of lifting it to my mouth, when I 

 was exceedingly surprised at perceiving an annular rim of 

 fire encircling my thumb : it proceeded from a AScolopendra 

 electrica, which had secreted itself, as is no uncommon case, 

 between the flesh and the stone of the apricot, and was dis- 

 lodged b}' my opening the fruit. The insect was of a bright 

 yellow brown colour, longer and much more slender than 

 represented in the figure at p. 230. May not more than one 

 British species be possessed of this luminous property ? 



The figure of Anthrocera filipendulae (six spot burnet moth), 

 at p. 264., I cannot help saying, is a wretched performance : 

 those portions of the wings which ought to have been repre- 

 sented of the darkest, are made of the lightest, shade, and vice 

 versgl. On the whole, it is scarcely sufficiently like the ori- 

 ginal to enable one to distinguish the insect intended to be 

 represented, except that it can be meant for no other. 



Professor Rennie recommends (p. 378.) the cedar ^ among 

 other woods, for the purpose of constructing drawers for 

 cabinets of insects. Let the inexperienced collector be 

 warned that this is, perhaps, the very *morst wood that can 

 be employed for the purpose ; a strong effluvia, or sometimes 

 a resinous gum, exudes from the wood of the cedar, which is 

 apt to settle in blotches on the wings of the specimens, espe- 

 cially of the more delicate Lepidoptera, and entirely dis- 



