244 



THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



insects give out a brilliant light, of which the Glow- 

 worms of northern countries can only give a feeble 

 idea. These flying or climbing stars are the constel- 

 lations of virgin forests. In South America the 

 Indians utilise one of these insects, the Cucujo, by 

 fastening it to the great toe like a little lantern, and 

 profit by its light to find their road or to preserve 



Fig. 44. 



their naked feet from snakes. The first missionaries 

 to the Antilles, lacking oil for their lamps, some- 

 times replaced them by Fire-flies to read matins by.^ 

 The Melicourvis baya had already discovered this 

 method of lighting, and the mysterious little balls of 

 clay were nothing more than candlesticks in which 



' P. Dutertre, Hist, des Antilles frattfatse, 1667. 



