FIRE- FLIES. 105 



The smaller species have, some yellow, some green 

 light : I have noticed only these two colours in the 

 luminosity of such Lampyridce as I have observed. 



Pygolampis xanthophotis, when held in the fingers, 

 will frequently illuminate the antepenultimate seg- 

 ment of the abdomen, over which the light plays fit- 

 fully, sometimes momentarily clouded, more or less, 

 but generally saturated, as it were, with most bril- 

 liant effulgence. This species occasionally comes in 

 at open windows at night, but much more rarely than 

 Photuris versicolor and the smaller kinds, a dozen or 

 more of which may be seen almost every night, espe- 

 cially at Content, crawling up the walls or flitting 

 around the room and beneath the ceiling. 



Southey's well-known lines on the Fire-flies of 

 tropical America, are, with one or two trivial excep- 

 tions, as correct as they are poetical : — 



" Sorrowing we beheld 

 The night come on ; but soon did night display- 

 More wonders than it veiled : innumerous tribes 

 From the wood-cover swarmed, and darkness made 

 Their beauties visible ; one while they streamed 

 A bright blue radiance upon flowers which closed 

 Their gorgeous colours from the eye of day ; 

 Now, motionless and dark, eluded search, 

 Self-shrouded ; and anon, starring the sky, 

 Rose like a shower of fire," Madoc, i. v. ' 



I would substitute ''green radiance " for " blue ; " 

 I have never seen a blue gleam from a Fire-fly, either 

 in the Antilles, or in continental America. The 

 phrase " starring the sky " seems rather at variance 

 with the lowly habits of the genus : I would not say 

 r 5 



