60 History of Luminescence 



Actually every country has a name for the light of decaying wood, 

 which always contains a luminous fungus mycelium growing among 

 the wood fibers. 



The word " fox-fire " which is frequently used, especially in the 

 United States, for the light of decaying wood due to growth of a 

 luminous fungus, is included in the Catholicum Anglicum,^ an Eng- 

 lish-Latin word book published in 1483. The Latin equivalent is 

 " glos,'' glossis." According to Herrtage * " fox-fire " may be a cor- 

 ruption of the old French " fifollets," fox coming from " fol " or 

 " fols," false. The modern French is " feux-follets " or false fires. 



On the other hand, the word " fox " may be used in a sense that 

 means to become discolored, applied to wood or paper Avhen it turns 

 a reddish color like a fox.^° The growth of the luminous fungus is 

 usually associated with rotten discolored wood. Another possible 

 derivation is fire (i. e. a glow) in the eyes of foxes. 



THE WEST INDIAN FIREFLY OR THE CUCUJO 



In addition to ordinary fireflies, discovery of the New World also 

 introduced to science a brilliant and striking luminous insect, the 

 " cocujo " or " cucujo " an elaterid beetle of the genus Pyrophorus, 

 common in Central and South America and the West Indies. It 

 was seen and described by Oviedo and also mentioned by the Italian 

 historian of Spain's American conquests, Pietro Martire d'Anghiera 

 (1455-1526) in his De Rebus Oceanis et Orhe Novo Decades VIII, 

 and by many other writers. Better known as Peter Martyr, he never 

 visited the " Orbe Novo." His account is second hand, from reports 

 of Columbus, Cortes, S. Cabot, and Vespucci. Oviedo actually lived 

 in the New World and may be considered a more accurate source 

 of information. The two men give somewhat different information 

 regarding the " cucuyo." 



The original account of Oviedo is as follows: ^^ 



There are many flies, butterflies and beetles in these islands [Antilles] 

 that are luminous when they fly at night. Like those that are called 

 " luciernagas " in Castille and fly during the summer, . . . there are many 

 here but small. But there is one kind called " cocuyo " which is notable. 

 This is an insect well known in this [Santo Domingo] and the neigh- 



* Edited by S. J. H. Herrtage in 1881 and published by the Early English Text 

 Society (p. 140) . 



* Glos is defined as " Lo ligno putrido " in Domino DuCange's Glossarium mediae 

 et infimae Latinitatis, new ed. of L. Favre, 1885. 



^° This derivation has been adopted in the Century Dictionary (1891). 



^^ Historia general y natural de las Indias by Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo, Book 

 XV Chap. VIII, published in Madrid, 1851, by the Royal Academy of History, trans- 

 lated by Mr. Gabriel de la Haba. 



