209 



into the room, as it now does at the moment I write, with the creature 

 in the glass tumbler before me. We shut out the light, and to test 

 the power of the fly I took up a book and read two verses of the 109th 

 Psalm. Mr. Robert Gregg also took up a book and read by its light. 

 I hope this will satisfy all that the lantern fly is luminous." 



In the ' History of the West Indies,' by R. M. Martin, 1837, vol. ii. 

 page ] 04, being vol. v. of the " British Colonial Library," is a state- 

 ment fully corroborating the truth of the lantern fly being luminous. 



The question must, I think, now be considered as settled ; and this, 

 I hope, wipes away the last stain cast upon the fair fame of Madame 

 Merian : romance, as it has hitherto been considered by many, be- 

 comes plain reality. 



All naturalists of experience have no doubt long ago ascertained 

 the truth of the observation that Nature only reveals herself at inter- 

 vals, and in some cases only to favoured votaries. The luminosity of 

 Fulgora candelaria, so common a species in China, has never been 

 observed by Mr. John Bowring, or by others with whom I have con- 

 versed on the subject ; but some years ago I had a box. of Chinese 

 insects before me, when, of two sailors who stood by, one exclaimed 

 to the other, pointing to the Fulgora, " See here, Tom, here's one 

 of the flying candles that we used to catch in our hats along shore 

 at night in China." I had not drawn their attention to the insect, or 

 mentioned the circumstance of the insects coming from China. Count 

 Christian Yedlety d'Enzenberg, an oflicer in the Austrian service, 

 informed me that he had seen them shining with great brilliancy at 

 night, and that the luminosity flashed out at intervals, like a revolving 

 light. 



Altogether the volume of the ^ Zoologist' for 1863 fully sustains its 

 character as the leading journal for the record of facts and anecdotes 

 relating to all classes of animals. 



The Naturalist on the Amazons. 



The most important contribution to Entomology in this country, 

 made during the past season, is doubtless to be found in the pages of 

 'The Naturalist on the River Amazons:' he who has read that book 

 once, will, if he has a true perception of the beautiful in nature, recur 

 to it again and again ; he who has not has a great treat to come. 



The title of the work well indicates the character of the contents : 

 we feel how truly Mr. Bates remarks at the very commencement, 

 " It was with deep interest that my companion and myself, both now 

 about to see and examine a tropical country, gazed on the land where 



