

houses. Afzelius says, " happening to stand between 

 the light and the box (in which the insect was con- 

 fined), so that my shadow fell on the animal, I ob- 

 served, to my great astonishment, the globes of the 

 antennae like two lanterns spreading a dim phos- 

 phoric light." 



The elater noctilucus is called cocujas in South Ame- 

 rica, where it is not uncommon : it is about an inch 

 and a half long, and of a brown colour, with the thorax 

 marked on each side by a smooth yellow transparent 

 spot, highly luminous, and diffusing so brilliant a 

 light at night, that a person may, in a favourable 

 position of the insect, see to read the smallest print. 

 Besides these, however, there are two luminous 

 spots beneath the elytra, only visible, of course, when 

 the insect is on wing, and it then appears studded 

 with four rich and vivid gems of a blue lustre ; in 

 fact, the whole body seems a flood of pure light. In 

 the West Indies, particularly St. Domingo, the na- 

 tives employ these insects to give light in managing 

 their household concerns. In travelling, they are 

 wont to attach one to each toe ; and it is stated 

 that in fishing and hunting they require no other 

 light. Pietro Martire informs us, that the elater 

 noctilucus serves the natives of the Spanish West 

 Indies, not only as a light to illuminate their houses, 

 but to extirpate the gnats : on introducing the fire- 

 flies, the gnats become their prey. On festive days, 

 these fire-flies are collected and attached to their 

 clothes and horses ; and, according to the same author, 

 the luminous matter is sometimes rubbed over the face. 

 We are told by Mouffet, that the appearance of the 

 tropical fire-flies, on one occasion, led to a singular 

 result. When Sir Thomas Cavendish and Sir Robert 

 Dudley first landed in the West Indies, the flitting 



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