88 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



cidae will not frequently find other natural pro- 

 ductions on which it can repose with greater plea- 

 sure. Such indeed is the splendour of some kinds, 

 that the wing-cases and other parts are often worn 

 as ornaments instead of precious stones. " A pe- 

 culiar and scarce night-fly," says a writer on Japan, 

 speaking of a species of beetle, " is of such incom- 

 parable beauty that it is kept by the ladies among 

 their curiosities, and has given rise to the following 

 fable : They say that all the other night-flies, owing 

 to the unparalleled beauty of this little creature, 

 fall in love with it, and in order to get rid of their 

 importunities, it maliciously bids them (for a trial 

 of their constancy) to go and fetch fire. The blind 

 lovers scruple not to obey commands, and flying to 

 the next fire or candle, they never fail to burn them- 

 selves."* Notwithstanding the beauty which many 

 tropical species retain when brought to this country, 

 and even after they have been preserved for many 

 years in our cabinets, it cannot be supposed to equal 

 that of their living state. In that condition only 

 can there be a full development of their finer and 

 more evanescent shades of colour while their po- 

 lished surfaces must be of dazzling brilliancy when 

 seen under the light of a tropical sun, in angles con- 

 tinually varying with the motion of the animals, 

 which are thus rendered no unfit associates of the 

 Lories, Creepers, and other " birds of gorgeous plu- 



* Kempfer's History of Japan. 



