54 ELATERID.^: — FIRE-FLIES, SPRING-BEETLES, ETC. 



(Cucuji), which causes them to shine like a flame of fire."^ 

 And in the Spanish Colonies, on certain festival days in 

 the month of June, these insects are collected in great num- 

 bers, and tied as decorations all over the garments of the 

 young people, who gallop through the streets on horses 

 similarly ornamented, producing on a dark evening the 

 effect of a large moving body of light. On such occasions 

 the lover displays his gallantry by decking his mistress 

 with these living gems.^ 



At the present day, the poorer classes of Cuba and the 

 other West India Islands, make use of these luminous in- 

 sects for lights in their houses. Twenty or thirty of them 

 put into a small wicker-work cage, and dampened a little 

 with water, will produce quite a brilliant light. Through- 

 out these islands, the Cucujus is worn by the ladies as a 

 most fashionable ornament. As many as fifty or a hun- 

 dred are sometimes worn on a single ball-room dress. 

 Capt. Stuart tells me he once saw one of these insects upon 

 a lady's w^hite collar, which at a little distance rivaled the 

 Kohinoor in splendor and beauty. The insect is fastened 

 to the dress by a pin through its body, and only worn so 

 long as it lives, for it loses its light when dead. 



The statement of Humboldt is, that at the present day 

 in the habitations of the poorer classes of Cuba, a dozen of 

 Cucuji placed in a perforated gourd suffice for a light during 

 the night. By shaking the gourd quickly, the insect is 

 roused, and lights up its luminous disks. The inhabitants 

 employ a truthful and simple expression, in saying that a 

 gourd filled with Cucuji is an ever-lighted torch ; and in 

 fact it is only extinguished by the death of the insects, 

 which are easily kept alive with a little sugar cane. A 

 lady in Trinidad told this great traveler, that during a long 

 and painful passage from Costa Firme, she had availed 

 herself of these phosphorescent insects whenever she wished 

 to give the breast to her child at night. The captain of 

 the ship would not permit any other light on board at 

 night, for fear of the privateers.^ 



Southy has happily introduced the Cucujus in his 



1 HisL of Amer., p. 378. 



2 Walton, Pres. St. of Span. Col., i. 128. 

 » Humboldt's Cuba, p. 395. 



