THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 405 



part were purely speculative. Jenner, in his note on Phosphcenus 

 hemipterus Fourcroy (Entomologist, 1883, Vol. 16, p. 216), regards the 

 photogenic function in this insect as purely protective, and although there 

 have been a number of papers published on this odd little Lampyrid, 

 nothing very definite seems to have been adduced as to the usefulness of 

 its luminosity. Incidentally, the observation cited by Planet (Le 

 Naturaliste, 1908, Vol. 31, p. 200), of the finding of a Phosphcenus $ in 

 copula with a small specimen of Lampyris ?ioctiluca ^ is of considerable 

 interest in this connection. 



Emery's observations on Luciola italica Linn. (Bull. Soc. Entomol. 

 Ital , 1887, 18, p. 406; Stett. Entomol. Ztg., 1887, Vol. 48, pp. 201-206), 

 certainly seem to support the view taken by this author of the sexual 

 character of the photogenic function in this species. The relation between 

 the photogenicity and the sexual life in Lampyris noctiluca Linn, seems 

 to have been recognized for over a century, since Spallanzani (Chimico 



esame sopra la luce del fosforo, etc., Modena, 1796, p. 129), 



records it apparently as a matter of general knowledge that if a "luccio- 

 lone" were exposed by night, a winged '"lucciole" would come to and 

 couple with it. (*'Lucciolone" is a popular word signifying the glow- 

 worm, or female of Lampyris noctiluca, while the word "lucciole" is 

 usually applied to either sex of Luciola italica, though in this connection 

 it evidently refers to the male of the Lampyris noctiluca). The same 

 observation was repeated by Phipson (Phosphorescence, London, 1868, 

 p. 142). Quite recently Folsom (Entomology, with reference to its bio- 

 logic and economic aspects ; Philadelphia, 1906, p. 132), has stated that 

 he regards the photogenic function in Photinus as a sexual character. 



Goi ham's paper on the "Structure of the Lampyridse with reference 

 to their phosphorescence" (Trans. Entomol. SocLon., 1880, pp. 63-67), 

 although mainly speculative, is of interest and importance in this connec- 

 tion. Under the head of "Biologische (okologische) Bedeutung der 

 Lichtproduktion," Mangold, in his monograph "Die Produktion von 

 Licht" (Hans Winterstein's Handbuch der vergleichenden Physiologie, 

 Vol. Ill, 2nd Half, pp. 326-332 ; Jena, 19 10), has given a very extensive 

 review of the present status of our knowledge of the usefulness of the 

 photogenic function in luminous organisms in general. 



There are but few references in the literature to the attraction of 

 Lampyridte to artificial lights. Lord Avesbury (The Origin and Meta- 

 morphoses of Insects, London, 1873, P- ^7)' notes that the male of 

 Lampyris noctiluca will occasionally fly into rooms, attracted by light, 

 which it apparently mistakes for that of its mate. 



L 



