104 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



monkey tribe, of Hottentot women with natural 

 aprons, of American Indians without a "beard, and 

 of Sirens, Mermaids, and the like. In the Natural 

 History of Insects, too, marvellous stories are intro- 

 duced by travellers in foreign countries, who have 

 implicitly relied upon the reports of the ignorant 

 natives, and whose stories, however absurd, have 

 gained credence. This is the case with regard to 

 the Lantern-fly, which is a native of South America, 

 but which from its bodily construction belongs to 

 the order we are now describing. This Insect is 

 provided with a comparatively large bladder, which 

 is placed before its head, and from which, it is said, 

 comes a strong light, as bright as that of a candle. 

 This lightning story originated more than a century 

 and a half ago, from the work of the celebrated 

 Madame Merian, who lived several years in Surinam, 

 and who says that one day the Indians brought her 

 a large number of living Lantern-flies, which she 

 put into a box, but they made so much noise during 

 the night, that she rose from her bed and opened 

 the box, which however she immediately dropped on 

 the ground, so frightened was she at the multitude 

 of fiery flames issuing from it. 



Now modern naturalists, such as Prince Max of 

 Neuwied, Prince Paul of Wurtemberg, Count Hoff- 

 mansegg, Mr. Lacordaire, and several others who have 



