ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OB^ ONTARIO. 37 



But Southey, the Laureate, trusted to such particulars, aad in " Madoc in Aztlan," 

 Oanto XVI I., telling of Madou's deliverance by Ooatel, says : 



"Fast along the forest way. 

 And fearfully, he followKi to the cliasni. 

 She beckon'd and decended, and drew out 

 From underneath her vest, a cage, or net, 

 It rather might be called, so fine the twigs 

 Which knit it, where, confined, two fire-fiies gave 

 Their lustre. Hy that light did Madoc first 

 , Behold tbe features of his lovely guide ; 



And through the entrance of the cavern gloom, 

 He followed in full trust." 



" Now have they reach'd 

 The abrupt descent ; there Coatel held forth 

 Her living lamp, and turning with a smile, 

 Sweet as good angels wear when they present 

 Their mortal cliarge before the Throne of Heaven, 

 Sheshow'd where little Hoel slept below." 



Robert Pollock, the author of the " History of Peter Wilkins," which is an entirely 

 imaginative and unnatural work, may, perhaps, have read of the occasional phosphores- 

 oence of earth-worms. At any rate he makes the lighting up of the houses and streets of 

 Arndrumstake to depend upon the supply of " Sweecoe.s," creatures which were bred by 

 all the well-to-do persons in the community, for the sake of their light-giving properties. 

 The lamps in which they were contined were globular, " like calabashes." The creatures 

 were changed twice a day, and fed on leaves and grass. 



Pollock enters into no minute descriptions of these creatures, and gives no particulars 

 as to the breeding of them. He leaves all such things to the imagination of his readers ; 

 and to it we also must leave them. 



(S) Other entomological mistakes of authors have arisen from th'Ar laicwMng from 

 the known into the unknown. 



It is a dangerous thing to give the fancy scope on subjects with which one is imper- 

 fectly acquainted. 



Isaac Walton, in "The Complete Angler" (Fourth Day), gives a brief but accurate 

 account of a larva of the Privet Hawk Moth {Sphinx Ligustri). The caterpillar died, 

 *' but if it had lived," says Walton, " it had doubtless turned to one of those flies that 

 some cnll Hies of prey, which those that walk by the rivers may, in summer, see fasten 

 on smaller flies, and, I think, make them their food." 



It is never safe to make guesses in Entomology. Charles Kingsley knew some things 

 about the Dragon-flies ; but he made a venture, and — he made a slip. The redoubtable 

 Tom of the " Water Babies " came face to face with an " ugly fellow " who infor.ned him 

 that he wanted to " split-" 



" Why do you want to split? " said Tom. 



" Because my brothers and si^ttjrs have all split, and turned into beautiful creatures with wings : and I 

 want to split too. Don't speak to me. I am sure I shall split. I will split ! 



A wise resolution, I dare say ; but a little '• too previous." However — 



" Tom stood still, and watched him, and he swelled himself, and pufifed, and stretched himself out stiff. 

 At last, crack, puff, bang —he opened all down his back, and then up to the top of his head. 



" And out of his inside came the most slender, elegant, soft creature, as soft and smooth as Tom : but 

 very pale and weak, like a little child who has been ill a long time in a dark room. It moved its legs very 

 feebly ; and looked about it half ashamed, like a girl when she goes for the first time into a ball-room ; 

 and then it began walking slowly up a grass stem to the top of the water. 



" Tom was so astonished that he never said a word ; but he stared with all his eyes. And he went up 

 to the top of the water too, and peeped out to see what would happen. 



"As the creature sat in the warm bright sun; a w.)nderful change came over it. It grew strong and firm ; 

 the most lovely colours began to show on its body — blue and yellow and black spots, bars and rings ; out of 

 its back rose four great wings of bright brown gauze ; and its eyes grew so large that they filled all its head, 

 and shone like ten thousand diamonds. 



" Oh, you beautiful creature 1" said Tom ; and h-s put out his hand to catch it. 



" But the thing whirred up int) the air, and hu ig poised on its wings a moment, and then settled 

 down again by Pom quite fearless. 



" No !" it said, " you cannot catch me. I am a dra,'in-fly now, the king of all the flies." 



— " Water Babies," Ch. III. 



