OF FULGORA CANDELARIA. 119 



country of the barbarians, who rejoice in the name of two 

 syllables long only ; this may have some influence, as distance 

 seems much to add to the degree of belief we are to give to a 

 story. What Dr. Hancock's arguments have to do with 

 F. candelaria more than F. laternaria, I do not know ; but 

 this I must say, that they first called my attention to the 

 subject, although I must own that it has always appeared odd 

 to me, that a part supposed to secrete a luminous fluid should, 

 in the dead animal, appear never to have had any trace of 

 glands, but to be merely a continuation of the integuments, 

 differing in nothing from those of the rest of the body. 



Let the division this evening be what it may, I shall still 

 adhere to my present opinion, not blindly and against positive 

 evidence, but until some observer who is entitled to credit 

 shall say, " I have seen a Fulgora actually alive, and shining ;" 

 or until I myself have seen one. And, Mr. Chairman, I do 

 hold, that were we to place, instead of the Fulgora, the image 

 of an Elater, or more properly, a Pi/rophorus, surrounded 

 with rays, radiating not from its nose, (like Bardolph's), but 

 from its whole thorax, we should be acting more wisely than 

 by leaving there the figure of an insect which only shines by 

 common consent. Under these circumstances I must press my 

 motion to a division. 



Mr. Hanson. — Mr. Chairman, although I was quite willing 

 to second the motion of my friend, the author of the Letters of 

 Delta, yet I must say that I did so, more that the subject 

 might thereby gain a full and fair discussion, which, without a 

 seconder, it could not have had. I willingly admit, that the 

 learned disquisitions of my friend, the author of the Letters of 

 Delta, and the present Editor, do bring authorities seemingly 

 overwhelming in favour of Elater and Lampyris ; never- 

 theless, retain the rays, say I ; we are quite convinced of one 

 thing, that the figure is emblematical, that the rays are ideal. 

 We were quite convinced of this when we agreed on adopting 

 the figure as it is : on these grounds. Sir, I shall vote for the 

 amendment. 



Mr. Davis. — Gentlemen, in opening this discussion, I 

 expressed my opinion, that a motion similar to that subse- 

 quently proposed by Mr. Doubleday, should have ray appro- 

 bation, provided the non-luminosity of the insect in question 

 were clearly proved. I have paid every attention in my 



