24 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



more fortnnate than yourself, and have seen its beautiful 

 luminosity.' Had 1 possessed no further knowledge of the 

 subject than Mr. Treffry, what had I thought of the follow- 

 ing : — ' The so-called lanthovn appears to answer as a drum 

 to reverberate its hum, and as a "buffer" to protect it, when 

 in its rapid flight it strikes against an obstacle, as it is elastic 



and horny I think its use is what I have stated — an 



instrument of sound and a " buffer."' I am expected to be- 

 lieve that the lamp of the winged torch-bearer is no more 

 than this. No ! do not believe in any such degrading 

 fact. I will bring evidence before you of such weight as to 

 settle the question of the luminosity of the lanthoi'n fly, and 

 restore it to its legitimate position in your minds as a light- 

 bearing insect. At a Meeting of the Royal Physical Society 

 of Edinburgh, held November 24th, 1858, a specimen of the 

 lanthorn fly {Fulgora lateruarin) was exhibited by Dr. J. A. 

 Smith, who observed that it was slill an undecided question 

 amongst naturalists whether these flies were really at any 

 time luminous or not. It was therefore of importance that 

 the undoubted evidence of eje-witnesses should be produced. 

 Mr. Banks, of Prestonpans, who forwarded the Fulgora to 

 Dr. Smith, was therefore at once requested to obtain further 

 information from his correspondents on that particular point. 

 On the 27th of April, 1859, at a subsequent Meeting of the 

 same Society, Mr, James Banks communicated, through Dr. 

 Smith, the reply of his correspondent at Honduras to the 

 question raised at the Society. Mr. Banks had received 

 various letters upon the subject of the luminosity of Fulgora 

 laternaria : they all bore testimony to the truth of the state- 

 ment of this fly really emitting a light. One from Mr. 

 Alexander Henderson, of Belize, furnished the following de- 

 tails : — ' In answer to the question, " Is it really luminous ? " 

 certainly the fly possesses light, and therefore emits it. The 

 light is evidently under control, for it increases and dimi- 

 nishes at pleasure. When the wings are closed there are 

 three luminous spots on each side of the head-part, on the 

 upper part (like a cat's staring eyes) of a beautiful sulphur- 

 coloured light, in rays that spread over the room. The third 

 luminous spot is seen when the fly is on its back, half-way 

 down the abdominal part of the insect. When quiescent the 

 lamination is least ; in daylight the upper spots are nearly 



