202 Mr. P. H. Gosse on the Insects of Jamaica. 



the insect is sweeping in rapid, headlong, irregular curves over 

 the fields or along the edges of the forests ; when the appearance 

 resembles that of a stick with the end on fire (but not in flame) 

 carried or whirled along by one running swiftly, quenched sud- 

 denly after, a course of a dozen yards, to appear again at a similar 

 distance. When slowly flying over the grass, the progress of one 

 may often be traced by the red glare on the ground beneath ; a 

 space of about a yard square being brightly illuminated, when 

 no light at all reaches the spectator's eye from the body of the 

 insect. 



Whether any light would appear pervading the abdomen if 

 the segments were stretched, I cannot positively say, for I have 

 not in my journal any note on this point. I think not, however ; 

 for in my repeated handlings of these insects and experiments 

 on their abdomens, I could scarcely have avoided extending the 

 segments, even unintentionally; but I am quite certain I never 

 saw any light except in the one ventral and the two thoracic 

 spots. If one be trodden on, a mass of mixed light remains for 

 some minutes among the fragments. The story told by Peter 

 Martyr of these Elaters having been hunted for, to eat the mos- 

 quitoes is sufficiently amusing ; of course it is not right to con- 

 tradict a statement because one has never verified it, but I may 

 be permitted to observe that I utterly disbelieve it. That they 

 might afford a substitute for candles in performing household 

 operations that required no great exactness, is certainly true, 

 provided they were constantly carried in the fingers ; but if put 

 under a glass, or allowed liberty in a room, as I have abundantly 

 proved, they very quickly conceal their light. I have found too, 

 that one kept beneath a glass would display very little light the 

 next evening, even under the excitement of being handled, and 

 on the following night would be irrecoverably dark : this may 

 have resulted from the lack of food or of exercise, not I think 

 from the lack of air or of moisture. 



About the middle of May a larva of an Elateridous beetle was 

 brought to me which was luminous ; in the dark the whole insect 

 was pellucid, but the divisions of the segments showed distinct 

 light, blue and pale, not very vivid. It w r as impatient of being 

 handled, and bit fiercely at the hand, but ineffectually. I suspect 

 that it was the larva of this firefly : the specimen is now in the 

 British Museum. 



33. Agnjpnus (sp. nov.). A single specimen occurred ; taken 

 on the 4th of June at Sabito. 



34. Ectinus (sp. nov.). Taken at Belmont early in June. 



35. Limonius ? (sp. nov.). Hampstead Road, late in June. 

 36 to 38. Spharocephalus (three species, minute). 



[To be continued.] 



