as foon as we found that it came from the box, we 

 opened it, but were alarmed ftill much more, and let 

 it fall to the ground in a fright at feeing a flame of fire 

 come out of it ; and as many animals as came out, fo 

 many flames of fire appeared. When we found this to 

 be the cafe, we recovered from our fright, and again 

 collected the infedts, much admiring their fplendid 

 appearance." She adds, that the light of one of thefe 

 infeds is fo vivid that a perfon may fee to read a news- 

 paper by it. 



It may not be improper to obferve, that though 

 Madam Merian has given good figures of the Fire-Fly, 

 yet, by way of explaining the change from its fuppofed 

 larva into the complete infeft, fhe feems to have intro- 

 duced an imaginary figure, reprefenting the Cicada 

 Tibicen with the head of a Fulgora. The light emit- 

 ted by the Fire-Fly proceeds entirely from the hollow 

 part, or Lantern of the head ; no other part of the anU 

 maj being luminous. 



