A WEST INDIAN SKETCH. 69 



is not a native of this island, nor the shore immediately opposite; nor 

 can it be cultivated here with any advantage. 



Our way was up a hill, through thick woods of the bullet-tree, 

 (Achras balata), which bears a very sweet kind of fruit; a good idea 

 may be formed of the value of timber here, when I say that we saw 

 two or three peons felling some of these trees, merely for the sake of 

 getting their fruit. " When the savages of Louisiana," says the author 

 of L' Esprit des Loix, fe want fruit, they cut down the trees ;" he adds, 

 in his forcible, but laconic style, " this gives a good idea of a bar- 

 barous government." 



As our ascent was laborious, we sat down on one of those trees which 

 had just been cut down, to rest ourselves. 



"Do you know what this is?" said Ratton, addressing Aikin, arid 

 presenting him with an insect of about an inch in length. Placing 

 the insect in his hat, and covering is so as to exclude the light, only 

 leaving room for Aikin to look in, the artist at once perceived it to 

 be &fulgor a phosphor ea, or great fire-fly ; as the beautiful creature dis- 

 played in the dark his two green lamps, which are placed above the 

 eyes, and as he attempted to fly, a large lambent sparkle of a deep 

 ruby colour was visible in its abdomen. 



" Some years since," said Rattoon, " a Spanish lady had a mas- 

 querade dress trimmed and ornamented with these splendid insects, 

 and cicindelas, smaller, though not less brilliant, fire-flies, which emit 

 scintillations while in the act of respiring. The effect of this costume 

 was magnificent beyond description : the lady had them placed be- 

 tween plaits of very fine net ; and not as the author of ' Six Months in 

 the West Indies/ insinuates, ' strung through the middle, as children 

 string cockchafers ;' for, in fact, those insects are so very beautiful that 

 I scarcely think the most cruel naturalist would have the heart to harm 

 them. I, on one occasion, applied their lamps to some advantage. 

 Being situated as an overseer on a plantation under the direction of 

 a manager who considered all reading and writing, save that which 

 was necessary to keep the estate's journal, as idleness, I was obliged 

 either to relinquish my studies, or to prosecute them in secret. To 

 accomplish the latter (not being allowed candles), I procured eight 

 or ten fire-flies, which I secured in a tumbler, and fed them on small 

 pieces of sugar-cane. I concealed them during the day ; and at night 

 while I was supposed to be in bed, I made use of my ' insect-lamp,' 

 which afforded me sufficient light to read the smallest print." 



te What insect is that?" inquired Aikin, "which but now fluttered 

 with a humming noise across my face ; and see, it is feeding on the 

 fruit of the fallen bullet-tree, on the wing !" 



" It is no insect ; the diminutive creature is the crowned humming- 

 bird; the smallest and most beautiful Trochilus or humming-bird 

 known here ; we are too far from it to note this wonder of the fea- 

 thered tribe, it being less than some bees. But see, the daring little 

 beauty approaches us; observe its graceful from its plumage of 

 variegated gold its amethyst-like head its ruff of light yellow, 

 spangled with deep green, that looks like a second pair of wings ; 

 mark its long bill scarcely thicker than a needle, and above all its 

 feathered crown !" 



