51 ON THE LUMINOSITY 



in catching these animals, made collars of them when they 

 wished to be seen a league or more off. And thus, both in the 

 fields and houses, people, by means of the light of these 

 Cocuyos, do whatsoever they need to do, without the breeze, 

 or a brisk wind, or rain being able to put out their light, and 

 leaving them unable to see whither they go. On this island, 

 when the soldiers sallied out by night, the adalic, or guide, 

 who went before, placed, when the night was dark, a Cocuyo 

 on his head, and served as a pharos to all the rest who fol- 

 lowed. The same light which this animal has in its eyes, it 

 also has in its back ; and when it opens its wings to fly, or 

 flies (goes flying), it shows more light from that which it 

 uncovers, which was below them, and with this it gives as 

 much light as with its eyes ; and so the one being joined to 

 the other, the light is gi'eater when it flies. It was cus- 

 tomary to keep these Cocuyos in confinement for the services 

 of the house, and to sup at night by their splendour. And 

 thus likewise did some Christians in times past, in order not 

 to waste their money in oil for lamps, which then was very 

 dear, or not to be got. And when they saw that from the 

 Cocuyo growing weak, or from its grief at its captivity, its 

 shining quality (virtud resplandeciente) deaden, or began to 

 diminish, they let it go, and caught others for other following 

 days. The Indians rubbed their faces and chest with a certain 

 paste which they made of these Cocuyos, when they celebrated 

 their feasts, and sought to amuse themselves by frightening 

 any one who was off his guard, or knew not what it was ; and 

 it appeared as though all those parts which had been anointed 

 with that material were on fire. And as the animal would grow 

 weaker and die, so little by little this brightness faded away, 

 until at last it disappeared from every part, and resolved itself 

 into nothing. And this suffices as to the glow-worm and other 

 animals which shine ; of all which, and of all beetles that give 

 light in like manner, I believe that the Cocuyo holds the 

 sovereignty in all that is written." 



Now the eyes Oviedo speaks of are very plainly the lumi- 

 nous spots on each side of the prothorax of the Elater, and 

 there appears to be no part in the passage which refers to any 

 insect like the Fulgora. I had once the pleasure of seeing 

 this beautiful insect, Elater, living and shining ; it was in the 

 possession of Mr. Curtis, a gentleman, I believe, known to you 



