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CHAPTEE Y. 

 PHOSPHOEIC INSECTS. 



PHOSPHORESCENCE has been observed with cer- 

 tainty in a considerable number of insects belong- 

 ing to the numerous family of Coleoptera, and in 

 some belonging to the family of Hemiptera. We 

 possess also some doubtful observations of this 

 kind regarding certain Lepidoptera and Ortho- 

 ptera. 



First among luminous Coleoptera I must men- 

 tion the genus LampyriSj to which belong our own 

 Glow-worms (Vers-luisants or Lampyres of the 

 French) . 



There are many species of Lampyris. No in- 

 sects, perhaps, have given rise to more poetical 

 sentiments among English authors, some of whom 

 have termed them " stars of the earth/' " dia- 

 monds of the night/' etc. : pseudonyms they owe 

 to their faculty of emitting a tranquil phosphoric 

 light, by which they illuminate and decorate our 

 hedgebanks on fine summer nights. For, if we 



