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Art. III. — Memorandum on the Fire-Jlies of Jamaica. By Robert 

 Heward, Esq., F.L.S., &c. 



5, Young St., Kensington. 



My Dear Sir, 



Wishing to hand you such information as I possess 

 respecting the fire-flies of Jamaica, I have jotted down all that I can 

 remember of those evening glisteners which so astonish and delight 

 the newly-landed European. The fire-flies of Jamaica, that I ob- 

 served, were of two genera, — Elater and Lampyris ; but it is most 

 likely that there are more than one species of each genus bearing the 

 name of fire-fly, but I am not entomologist sufficient to assure you of 

 that fact. The Elater makes its appearance as soon as it becomes 

 dark, and frequents houses much more than the Lampyris ; as soon 

 as the candles are lighted, we generally find some of them striking 

 against the glass candle-shades and falling on the table. The light 

 they show whilst on the wing, proceeds fi*om two small spots on the 

 thorax of the insect; it is of a remarkably beautifiil palish green co- 

 lour, and continues very steady, not appearing and disappearing at 

 intervals like the light from the Lampyris. I never observed the light 

 when the insect was in a quiescent state. If the insect falls or is 

 placed on its back, in its endeavours to recover its proper position it 

 shows a pale red light from the intervals between the rings of the ab- 

 domen ; this light is also steady, like the light from the head, but I 

 never saw the insect exhibit it except when lying on its back. The 

 appearance of the two colours, when shining together, is very beauti- 

 ful. When the light in the thorax is not shining, the spots^fi'om which 

 it proceeds are of a dull straw colour, and in form rather oval than 

 perfectly circular. The amount of light a single insect gives from the 

 thorax alone (for I never remember trying the abdominal light) is sufli- 

 cient, on holding the insect near the paper, to read print in rather a 

 small type. It is a common practice in Jamaica, for persons requir- 

 ing to know the hour during the night, to enclose one or two of these 

 insects in a vial, and shaking them to induce them to show their light, 

 the party is thereby enabled to see the time by his watch. 



The other fire-fly, the Lampyris, is seen in great numbers at wood- 

 sides, (more particularly of a damp evening). Its light is emitted at 

 short intervals, every quarter of a minute probably ; it is of a deep 

 yellow or flame colour, and the effect of hundreds of these lights spark- 



