phipso:j^'s phosphorescence. 45 



classes. Thus the Eotifera are now classed among the Annelides.'* 

 If the author really knows as much of these creatures as this foot- 

 note would appear to indicate, how are we to account for the many- 

 blunders made in the portion of this volume which treats about them? 

 "We are so far inclined to agree with him, that we would remove ail 

 the non-ciliated animalcula from the group of the true Infusoria ; 

 but as they do not possess pseudopodia in any form, we would not 

 be inclined to place them among the Ehizopodes. They will probably 

 turn out to be either larval forms of other animals, or vegetable 

 zoospores. Many marine phosphorescent animals are not even 

 alluded to by name in this chapter. The brilliant emerald green 

 phosphorescence of several of the species of Nereis, that of many 

 of the Sertularian Hydrozoa, and several others, are passed by 

 without a word. Some details are given in reference to the phos- 

 phoric light of the earth-worms, and of the two species, electrica 

 and pTiospliorica of the genus Scolependra. Macartney's curious 

 observations on S. electrica have been lately confirmed by Dr. Stokes, 

 who has found this species in some numbers on the Hill of Howth, 

 near Dublin. A short account follows of phosphoric insects, chief 

 among which are enumerated the glow-worm of JSTorthern, and the 

 Lucciola, or fire-fly, of Southern Europe, the females of the first 

 apterous, and of the second winged. "We have observed that the male 

 of our common species — Lampyris noctiluca — shows a much more 

 brilliant light in Italy than what we have seen it exhibit in England 

 or Northern Germany ; but the light exhibited by the female is 

 twofold more brilliant than that of the male, or than that exhibited 

 by either sex of the L. Italica. There are few sights more beautiful 

 than, when driving along some bye-road on the plains of Lombardy, 

 to see the countless thousands of Lucciola flying about like wandering 

 stars — now here, now there, causing the hedgerows quite to rival 

 the heavens. On plunging several of these Eire-flies into weak 

 spirits, we noticed that their light shone forth Vvith vivid intensity, 

 but faded away in a few minutes. Nothing satisfactory is as yet 

 known as to the why and the wherefore of the luminosity of these 

 insects. The author includes the species of the genus Fulgora among 

 the phosphorescent insects ; we believe that as yet all the evidence 

 goes to prove that this genus is not luminous. The case, pro and 

 con, will be found detailed in a manner very pleasant to read, in the 

 third volume of the " Entomological Magazine," for 183G ; and we 

 are not aware that much information has since been obtained. The 



