HEMIPTEEA. 113 



breadth as the head, and presents above a very great gibbosity. The 

 antennae are short, with a second globulous articulation, and a 

 small terminal hair. The species represented in Fig. 83 is yellow, 

 varied with black. The elytra are of a greenish yellow, sprinkled 

 with black ; the wings, of the same colour, have at the extremity 

 a large spot resembling an eye, which is surrounded by a 

 brown circle, very broad in front. It inhabits Guyana. This 

 remarkable insect enjoys a great renown with the vulgar, by a 

 peculiarity which may be called its speciality the property of 

 shining by night or in the dark. Hence its name of Fulgora 

 laternaria. 



The knowledge of the Fulgora laternaria has been spread and 

 popularised in Europe by a celebrated book, which has for its title, 

 "Metamorphoses des Insectes de Surinam." This book, which 

 contains the result of patient study of the natural history of 

 Dutch Guyana (Government of Surinam), was written and pub- 

 lished in three languages, by a woman whose name this work has 

 rendered immortal Mile. Sybille de Marian, and who won the 

 admiration and respect of her contemporaries by her love of the 

 beauties of nature, and her perseverance in making them known 

 and admired. Sybille de Merian was born at Bale. Daughter, 

 sister, and mother of celebrated engravers, herself an excellent 

 flower-painter, she had worked a long time at Frankfort and 

 at Nuremburg ; and had read with the greatest attention the 

 " Theologie des Insectes,"* and with admiration Malpighi's book 

 on the silkworm. Full of enthusiasm for the study of natural his- 

 tory, she left Germany, to visit the magnificent collection of plants 

 which were kept in the hot-houses of Holland, and made admirable 

 reproductions of them with her pencil. 



This attentive study of the vegetable world suggested to her the 

 idea, which soon became an ardent desire, of observing these 

 marvels of nature in those parts of the globe in which they display 

 themselves with the greatest magnificence and splendour. At the 

 age of fifty-four, Sybille de Marian set out for equatorial America. 

 From the very first days of her arrival she hazarded her life, some- 

 times without a guide, in the swampy plains or burning valleys of 



* " Theologie des Insectes, ou Demonstration des Perfections de Dieu dans tout ce 

 qui concerne les Insectes, par Lesser, traduit en francais." La Haye, 1742. 



I 



