62 History of Luminescence 



While Nature has bestowed this pest on the islanders, she has at the 

 same time supplied a remedy, just as we have the cat to rid us of the 

 filthy nuisance of rats. The gnat chasers, which likewise serve other 

 purposes, are called cucurios and are winged worms, inoffensive, a little 

 smaller than butterflies, and resembling rather a scarabaeus, since their 

 wings are protected by a tough outer covering, into which they are drawn 

 when the insect stops flying. These insects, like the fireflies we see shining 

 at night or certain luminous worms found in hedgerows have been sup- 

 plied by provident nature with four luminous points, two of which 

 occupy the place of the eyes, and the other two are hidden inside the 

 body under the shell, and are only visible when they put out their little 

 wings like the scarabs, and begin to fly. Each cucurio thus carries four 

 lanterns, and it is pleasing to learn how people protect themselves 

 against the pestiferous gnats, which sting every one and in some places 

 are a trifle smaller than bees. . . . To catch cucurios one must go out at 

 nightfall, carrying a burning coal, mount upon a neighbouring hut in 

 sight of the cucurios, and then call in a loud voice, " cucurios, cucurios! " 



Simple people imagine that the cucurios are charmed by this noise 

 and answer the call. As a matter of fact they quickly appear in masses. 

 We believe they are attracted by the light, as clouds of gnats also rush 

 towards it, just as the martins and swallows do, only to be devoured by 

 the cucurios. When a sufficient number of cucurios have assembled, the 

 hunter throws down the coal, and the cucurios, following the direction 

 of the fire, fall to the earth, where it is as easy to catch them as for the 

 traveller to catch a scarabaeus creeping along with its wings under its 

 shell. ... As soon as the hunter has got his supply of these cucurios, he 

 takes them home, and closely shutting his house, he lets them loose. 

 The cucurio immediately flies about the room seeking the gnats. He 

 acts as though he mounted guard over the hammocks and the faces of 

 the sleepers, which the gnats attack, assuming the duty of ensuring them 

 a night's rest. . . . 



By the light shed by this insect, as long as his hunger is not satisfied, 

 it is possible to read or write. When the cucurio's hunger is appeased by 

 the gnats he has caught and swallowed, his light grows dim; and when 

 the natives perceive this, they open the door and let the insect regain 

 his liberty and search for food elsewhere. As a joke, and to scare people 

 who are afraid of spectres, the facetious sometimes rub their faces with a 

 dead cucurio, and show themselves, with flaming countenances, to their 

 neighbours at night, asking them where they are going. . . . 



There is another extraordinary advantage derived from the cucurio; 

 the natives, whom the Spaniards sent on errands, prefer to go at night; 

 attaching two cucurios to their toes, they walk as easily as though they 

 carried as many lanterns as the cucurios have lights. They also carry 

 others in their hands, which help them to catch utias. These utias are a 

 sort of rabbit, a little larger than a rat, and before the arrival of the 

 Spaniards, the natives knew of no other and ate no other quadruped. 



