LANTERN-FLY. 145 



and bent slightly upwards: the ground-colour is 

 an elegant yellow, with a strong tinge of green in 

 some parts, and marked with numerous bright 

 red-brown variegations in the form of stripes and 

 spots : the wings are very large, of a yellow 

 colour, most elegantly varied with brov, n undula- 



O * 



tions and spots, and the lower pair are decorated 

 by a very large eye-shaped spot on the middle of 

 each, the iris or border of the spot being red, and 

 the centre half red and half semitransparent white: 

 the head or lantern is pale yellow, with longitudi- 

 nal red stripes. This beautiful insect is a native 

 of Surinam and many other parts of South- Ame- 

 rica, and during the night diffuses so strong a 

 phosphoric splendor from its head or lantern that 

 it may be employed for the purpose of a candle or 

 torch; and it is said that three or four of the in- 

 sects, tied to the top of a stick, are frequently used 

 by travellers for that purpose. The celebrated 

 Madam Merian, in her work on the Insects of 

 Surinam, gives a very agreeable account of the 

 surprize into which she was thrown by the first 

 view of the flashes of light proceeding from these 

 Insects. " The Indians once brought me," says 

 she, " before I knew that they shone by ni:ht, a 

 number of these Lantern-Flies, which I shut up in 

 a large wooden box. In the night they made 

 such a noise that I awoke in a fright, and ordered 

 a light to be brought: not knowing from whence 

 the noise proceeded. As soon as we found that 

 it came from the. box, we opened it; but were still 

 uiuch more alarmed, and let it fall to the ground 

 v. vi. p. i. 1O 



