FULGORIDiE — LANTERN-FLIES. 255 



in the earth, and become a tettigometra (pupa), is the sweet- 

 est ; when changed to the tettix, the males at first have the 

 best flavor, but after impregnation the females are preferred, 

 on account of their white ova.^ Athenseus and Aristophanes 

 also mention their being eaten ; and JSlian is extremely 

 angry with the men of his age that an animal sacred to the 

 Muses should be strung, sold, and greedily devoured.^ The 

 Cicada septemdecim, Mr. Colhnson in It 63 said, was eaten 

 by the Indians of America, who plucked off the wings and 

 boiled them.^ 



Osbeck tells us that the Cicada chinensis, along with 

 the Buprestis maxima, and several species of Butterflies, is 

 made an article of commerce by the Chinese, being sold in 

 their shops.* 



FulgoridsB — Lantern-flies. 



The Lantern-fly, Fulgora lanternaria of Linnoeus, found in 

 many parts of South America, is supposed to emit a vivid light 

 from the large hood, or lantern, which projects from its body, 

 and to be frequently serviceable to benighted travelers ; hence 

 the specific name, lanternaria. This story originated about a 

 century and a half ago, from the work of the celebrated Ma- 

 dame Merian, who lived several years in Surinam. Her ac- 

 count contains the following anecdote : '' The Indians once 

 brought me, before I knew that they shone by night, a number 

 of these Lantern-flies, which I shut up in a wooden box. In 

 the night they made such a noise that I awoke in a fright, 

 and ordered a hght to be brought ; not knowing whence the 

 noise proceeded. As soon as we found that it came from 

 the box, we opened it ; but were still much more alarmed, 

 and let it fall to the ground, in a fright at seeing a flame of 

 fire come out of it ; and as so many animals as came out, 

 so many flames of fire appeared. When we found this to 



1 Hist. An., B. 5, c. 24, ^ 3, 4. Bohn's edit. 



2 Cf. Bochart, Illeroz., ii. 491. 



3 Phil. Trans., 1763, n. 10. 

 * Travels, i. 331. 



Baird says, but on what authority he does not state, that Cicadas 

 are frequently to be seen represented on the Egyptian monuments, 

 and are said to be emblems of the ministers of religion. — Encycl. of 

 Nat. Sci. 



