138 THE FIRE FLY. 



purpose of a candle or torch ; and it is said, 

 that three or four of the insects, tied to the 

 top of a stick, are frequently used by tra- 

 vellers for that purpose. The celebrated 

 Madame Merian, in her work on the insects 

 of Surinam, gives a very agreeable account 

 of the surprise into which she was thrown by 

 the first view of the flashes of light pro- 

 ceeding from these insects. " The Indians 

 once brought me,"' says she, " before I knew 

 that they shone by night, a number of these 

 Lantern Flies, which I shut up in a large 

 wooden box. In the night they made such 

 a noise, that I awoke in a fright, and ordered 

 a light to be brought, not knowing from 

 whence the noise proceeded. 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 many 

 animals as came out, so many flames of fire 

 appeared. When we found this to be the 

 case, we recovered from our fright, and again 

 collected the insects, highly admiring their 

 splendid appearance.^** 



Gregory^ Shaw, and Atwood. 



