OF FULGORA CANDELARIA. 117 



at least, will give time for inquiry. Our friend, the author of 

 Sphinx Vespifonnis, says, that I avoid the subject ; that I am 

 fearful of inquiry, for that would prove fatal. Let me tell him 

 I have no such fear, I wish for inquiry. Had not circum- 

 stances, which I cannot control, prevented me, I should now 

 be inquiring into this, point in the very country of F. later naria. 

 But my prospects have been blighted, — my hopes have faded 

 away ; and with these, all " the life of life has fled ;" but yet 

 sometimes, in my solitary wanderings through our forest, or 

 whilst I rest myself on the stump of some old oak tree, my 

 imagination calls up to my view the splendid scenery of tro- 

 pical America, her vast rivers, her snowy mountains, her 

 groves of palms, of Lecythis, of Cavanilleria, and a thousand 

 other magnificent trees, intertwined by Paulini, Banisterice, 

 Passifloroe, and Bignonice, with blue, crimson or golden blos- 

 soms, from which the humming-bird now pecks the tiny insect, 

 now darts from them through the air, 



" Like winged flowers, or flying gems;" 



and then a voice seems to whisper to me, such lands must thou 

 visit — such scenes wilt thou find displayed before thee. O 

 that these visions may be realized ! O that they may not be a 

 mere mirage of a mind enthusiastic solely on one subject ! 

 But I am wandering from my point. There have been those 

 who have inquired, and of these no one has confirmed the 

 statement of Madame Merian from his own observation ; and 

 one, the last, from his own observations, positively denies it. 

 No doubt, when his forthcoming volume on the Natural His- 

 tory of British Guiana appears, we shall there find convincing 

 proofs of the want of luminosity under which F. latcrnaria 

 lies. But some day I shall observe these things for myself. 



" Si qua est Heleno prudentia si qua 

 Vati fides, animam si veris implet Apollo ;" 



and no one will rejoice more than I shall, if I find that I am now 

 in error. I shall then think of my worthy friend, and exclaim, 

 " O ! that thou wert but with me." Kirby, I will admit, 

 speaks of the observations of travellers as to fire-flies, which 

 he supposes to be Fulgorce ; but I doubt not that had he 

 referred to these, we should have found their words equally 

 applicable to the Lampyrites as to Fulgorce. But the 



