118 Facts, Observations, and Experiments, relative 



nent avec leurs pattes a quelque petit morceau de bois. 

 Elles sont comme mortes lorsqu'on les tire de l'eau, et 

 n'ont aucun signe de vie ; mais lorsqu'on les approche 

 du feu, et qu 'elles commencent a sentir la chaleur, elles 

 se remuent un peu, puis secouent leurs ailes, et com- 

 mcncent a voler comme elles font en ete. Cette particu- 

 Iarite m'a ete confirmee par tous ceux a qui je l'ai de- 

 mandee." 



I presume by this time you naturalists have no doubts 

 on the above subject ; my mind, I confess, is yet wa- 

 vering. 



Your sincere friend, 



Andrew Ellicott. 

 Lancaster, Jan. \9th, 

 1807. 



IV. Facts, Experiments, and Observations, relative to 

 some American species ofLampyris, or Fire-Flies. By 

 ^e/cfeTHOMAsWALMSLEY, M.D., of Elizabeth- 

 Town, Maryland. Communicated to the Editor 

 by the author's brother, Mr. William Mason 

 Walmsley, of Philadelphia. 



WHEN the Lampyris is immersed in water, it 

 drowns in fifteen or twenty minutes, but it shines with 

 almost as much brilliancy as when in the open air ; and 

 its voluntary emanations arc altother as vivid. 



Immersed in spirit of wine, it lives five or six mi- 

 nutes : some live longer: — it remains perfectly opake 



