51-2 



INSECTA. 



to vary its nrtion, wliicli is cspeciiilly the caso Avlien tliey firp seizc-d or lioM in the hand. Tliey livf for a vfry Ini^^ 

 time in a vai'umn,nr in ditfereut [2;ases, except nitric, muriatic, and sulphuric acid f^as, in ^^lnrll they die in a tew 

 moments. 'Jlieir ininiersiun in liydroe;en ^as renders them, at least sometimes, detonatin'.,^. Wlieii (le|n*)\cd iiy 

 mutilation of this Inminous part of the body they survive, ami this detached part preserves for some time its 

 luminous pou-ers, eitherwhen submitted to the action of ditl'erent ^'.^isrs, in vacuo, or in the open air, its phosi)ho- 

 rescence dependin!:^ upon its moistness rather tlian on the life of the aiinnal, as it is easily re-lighted on moistenin;^ 

 the substance with watei ; it appears much more brie;ht also when immersed in warm \^atcr, wincli rs tlironly 

 fluid capable of dissotvin;; it. 



These insects are nocturnal in their habits, the males beinpr occasionally seen llyin;^, like moths, round lights ; 

 whence we conclude thut the luminous property of the females has for its object the attr^action of indi\ iduals of 

 the other se.v ; and if, as He Geer states, the larvre and pupa; of the common Glow-worm are luminous, it is only 

 to be attributed to the di^velopcment of this phosithoric substance from the earliest aj^e. The males tliemselves 

 also possess thi~ iiii\\er, hut in a \er\- sliLrlit de^-ree. Nearly all the species of hot climates have both se.xes 

 wing^ed, and as tie\ nccin- in ;:;re;it (jumtities, thry exhibit a iirdjiant spectacle to the inhabitants. 



A)/i)/de/i'f,'r HoHin., contjirises some Brnziiian sjiecies, lia\'iiiy the antenniE composed of more than ele\'en j(.iints, 

 and stronfi;ly plumose. 



Pliengodefi, HoflVn., also consists of other South American sprcies, with only eleven joints in tlic antenna', the 

 third and following; joints emittiiiti: two long; ciliated and curled hlainents. 

 The remainins; species compose the restricted genus 



Lamjii/riSy divisible, from the form of the antennte, the presence or want of elytra and wings, &c., into many 

 minor groups. [See Laporte's revision of this genus in the Aiiiiulti of tin- f/cnch Enl. .'wye.] 

 L. noctUitca, Linn., the male of which is nearly half-an-inch long, and has simple antenmc; a semicircular 



thorax entirely covering the head, with two transparent spots ; 

 belly black; last segments of a pale yellow. The female is 

 destitute of wings and elytra, and is of a blackish colour ; the 

 apex paler; the latter are more especially called Glow-worms. 

 They are found in the country, at the side of roads, in hedges, 

 amongst grass, &c., in the mouths of June, July, and August. 

 They lay a griMt number of eggs, which are large, spherical, 

 and (if a citron colour. The larva nearly resembles the female, 

 but is black, with a pale spot at the hinder angles of the seg- 

 ments; the antenna? and legs being much shorter, they crawl 

 slowly, and are able to shorten and lengthen their bodies. They 

 J f^.i,„j^. Gii,ii-"-.,rm. are probably carnivorous. 



In our second division of the LampijiUlrs the antenna? are 

 the head is not formed into a muzzle, and the eyes are of the usual size iu both sexes, 

 , has the anteiiriie pectinated in the males, and shorter and subserrated in the females 



ilr,7».v, llliv.; 



a.Mlla 



d the thorax has 

 : fiisr,,. I. inn., is one of 

 iImls by rinldieii]. Us l.iiva is 

 idinles. Jleneath 



the maxil- 

 lary palpi are thickened towards the end, which is pointed. The males are alone winged, the female of the typical 

 species I> /«i^«ccns, only recently discovered, being apterous, and nearly three times the size ot the male. 

 M Mie'zinsky has lately observed the transformations of this species, the larva of which feeds upon the common 

 snail UMx nanornlis, Linn., and resembles that of a Glow-worm ; but the sides of the abdomen have a row ot 

 conic'al tubercles, and two series of pencils of hairs. Not having traced the transformations of the other sex, 

 M Mielzinsky regarded the female as forming a distinct genus, which he named CocUeocto„i,s. 



All the other species belonging to this section or division of the Lamjnirides are winged, and tli.'ir ma.xillary 

 palpi arc not much longer than the labial. 



nlrplwrus, Scha:tT.; CanUaris, Linn., has the palpi terminated by a hatchet-shaped joint, 

 not lateral notches. The species are carnivorous, ami crawl alxni 

 the roininonest species of this mimcrous group, [iiliich are railed 



subcylindric, elongated, soft, and of a velvety black colour ; the head is furnished with stron 

 the terminal'segment of the body is a fleshy tubercle, used in walki 

 pre 



coirri'd nitl. , 



thither bv violent gales of wind, whence the origin of insect rain, "pluie d',«scctes. 

 tiilis i\ic" , has the thorax notched at the sides behind. .S'. spimcollis, Charp. 



Mal'tldiius^hatr., has the palpi terminated by an ovoid joint, and the elytra are shorter than the al.don 

 species are very small, ami are found upon plants. 



e of the ilalacorlcnin, or ilie Melyriilcs, lias the palpi generally filifomi ami sliorl ; the 

 rd at the iioint ; the Ijoily generally long and narrow; the lieail only covered at the 

 slightly convex thorax, y\lnch is generally si|iiare or oblong; the joints of the tarsi 

 ungues unidentate, or fiiriiislied \vitli a inenilnaiions appenilagc. The anlcnna:. are 

 mostly serrated or pectinated in some males. The majority are very agile, ami are foinnl upon leaves 

 of flowers. This tribe, which is only a dismemberment of the genera Cau/haris and ]Jcr„„:x/cs, Linn., 

 composes that of ilel^ris, Tahr. 



It lives in damp earth, and feeds upon 



In r.rtain years large spaces of ground in Sweden, covered with snow in the ivinter, have been observed 



great numbers of these larva; and other living insects, supposed to have been raised and transported 



The 



The thinl Iri 

 mandibles imlr 

 base by a Hat i 

 are entire ; lb' 



