354 Phosphorescent Insects. Their Metamorphoses. (June, 
the pure black and white of its plumage and its black bill, is 
Chrecocephalus philadelphia or Bonaparte’s gull. The long slen- 
der bill and long pointed wings of this species give it a great 
resemblance to the terns, or sea-swallows, which it rivals in grace 
and beauty. From the farther end of the salt lake rises a beau- 
tiful large snowy-white bird, with long bill and lengthy legs trail- 
ing behind, this we believe to be Herodias egretta var. californica 
Baird. We watch its flight to the other end of the lake, where it 
alights and recommences its business of feeding on small crus- 
tacea, etc. 
Evening is now closing in as we approach the cars at Harbor 
View, the little grebes scud homewards over the bay in squads of 
eight or ten, the brown pelicans flap heavily towards their roost- 
ing places, and the cormorants, one after the other, form a 
retreating line as they make off to their haunts on a more wooded 
part of the bay. 
PHOSPHORESCENT INSECTS. THEIR METAMOR- 
OSES: 
BY MRS. V. O. KING, 
NIMAL metamorphosis is so uniform in its manifestations 
within certain limits,as to impart to its processes an apparent 
character of permanency. Whenever, therefore, we first observe 
any one of its phenomena which is beyond our experience, the 
curiosity is excited at what is rare, and we are led to inquire 
whether this new feature is anomalous, or whether it is not rather 
an exponent of capabilities hitherto dormant, but agreeably to law 
responding at the proper time to given conditions in the animal 
economy. The remarks of Mr. Wollaston, a few years since, on 
the relations existing between the apterous forms of insects and 
their atmospheric surroundings, and the further elaboration by Mr. 
Darwin of the method by which such results as the gradual mod- 
ification of structures, etc., are attained, naturally occur to the 
student of these apterous phases of metamorphosis. 
Among articulata representing the apterous types, t 
probably no species more interesting than those embraced in the 
family of Lampyride, since they exhibit great diversity in their 
metamorphic traits. By their phosphorescent habit they enable 
here are 
A 
