THE FIRE FLY. 137 



Lantern Fly, is undoubtedly one of the 

 most curious of insects. It is of a very con- 

 siderable size, measuring nearly three inches 

 and a half from wing's end to wing's end, 

 when expanded. The body is of a length- 

 ened oval shape, and divided into several 

 rings or segments ; the head is nearly equal 

 to the length of the rest of the animal, and 

 is oval, inflated, and bent slightly upwards : 

 the ground colour is an elegant yellow, with 

 a strong tinge of green in some parts, and 

 marked with numerous bright red-brown va- 

 riegations in the form of stripes and spots ; 

 the wings are very large, of a yellow colour, 

 most elegantly varied with brown undula- 

 tions and spots, and the lower pair are deco- 

 rated with a very large eye-shaped spot on 

 the middle of each, the iris or border of the 

 spot being red, and the centre half red, and 

 half semi-transparent white. The head, or 

 lantern, is pale yellow, with longitudinal 

 red stripes. This beautiful insect is a native 

 of Surinam, and many other parts of South 

 America, and during the night diffuses so 

 strong a phosphoric splendour from its head 

 or lantern, that it may be employed for the 

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