1-08 LUMINOUS INSECTS, 



to have been taken by him in Hertfordshire, is winged : 

 and when a number of these moving stars are seen to 

 dart through the air in a dark night, nothing can have 

 a more beautiful effect. Sir J. E. Smith tells us that the 

 beaus of Italy are accustomed in an evening to adorn the 

 heads of the ladies with these artificial diamonds, by 

 sticking them into their hair ; and a similar custom, as I 

 have before informed you a , prevails amongst the ladies 

 of India. 



Besides the different species of the genus Lampyris^ 

 all of which are probably more or less luminous, another 

 insect of the beetle tribe, Elater noctilucus, is endowed 

 with the same property, and that in a much higher de- 

 gree. This insect, which is called the fire-fly, and is 

 an inch long, and about one-third of an inch broad, 

 gives out its principal light from two transparent eye- 

 like tubercles placed upon the thorax ; but there are 

 also two luminous patches concealed under the elytra, 

 which are not visible except when the insect is flying, 

 at which time it appears adorned with four brilliant gems 

 of the most beautiful golden-blue lustre : in fact, the 

 whole body is full of light, which shines out between the 

 abdominal segments when stretched. The light emitted 

 by the two thoracic tubercles alone is so considerable, 

 that the smallest print may be read by moving one of 

 these insects along the lines ; and in the West India 

 islands, particularly in St. Domingo, where they are 

 very common, the natives were formerly accustomed to 

 employ these living lamps, which they called Cucuij, 

 instead of candles in performing their evening household 

 occupations. In travelling at night they used to tie one 

 a VOL. I. 317. 



