64 LIVING LIGHTS. 



CHAPTER IX. 



LANTERN-FLIES. 



WHEN Sir Charles Lyell visited this country some years 

 ago, he expressed much interest in the sea-serpent 

 question ; and one of his first inquiries, when introduced to 

 a certain gentleman, was, " Have you heard any thing about 

 the sea-serpent ? " The reply was, " Unfortunately I have 

 seen it." 



If Mme. Merian were alive, and a similar question should 

 be propounded to her regarding the luminosity of the South- 

 American lantern-fly, she could with propriety make a like 

 response. She makes a definite and distinct statement con- 

 cerning the phosphorescence of the Fulgora lanternaria, yet 

 to-day it is declared non-luminous by nearly all scientists. 



It'is not our intention to champion the cause of this enthu- 

 siastic naturalist ; but to some it would seem that the direct 

 evidence of a single observer of good repute should have 

 some weight against an indefinite number who merely failed 

 to corroborate the observation. In the chapter on luminous 

 plants, an almost similar instance is given, where for years the 

 direct statement of the daughter of Linnseus regarding the 

 luminosity of a plant was doubted by scientific men, until 

 finally a well-known botanist confirmed it. To some it would 

 seem possible that the Fulgora emits light only at certain times. 



