836 The Reputation of the Lantern Fly. [September, 
it was known to have stung a child which died a few days after- 
wards in great agony, and in spite of all the physicians could do. 
Many such cases were mentioned to me in various parts of the 
empire, and although on several occasions I met persons who 
claimed to have seen the insect itself, I was never able to come 
upon an actual case of injury done by the insect, or to see any 
one who had seen it wound the offended party. 
Search for the gitiranabéia itself was nigh proving futile also, 
but by dint of perseverance, cross-examinations, the sifting and 
patching together of evidence, I succeeded finally in cornering 
this destroyer of life in general and of the human race in par- 
ticular. Some of my informants told me that it folded its long 
beak beneath its body when it was not angry OF bent upon 
destruction, Here, perhaps, was one character. Others said that 
its head was very large in proportion to the rest of its body, in 
size and general form much resembling a peanut. Others again 
told of its being blind, though it appeared to have large eyes on 
the sides of its big, ugly head, while others added that this head 
was luminous, These characters pointed plainly to the Julgore or 
porte-lanterne of the French entomologists. 
Before trying to clear its character I took pains to assure my- 
self that the Fulgora lanternaria is the so-called gitiranabdia, and 
that it is generally supposed by the common people of Brazil.to 
be poisonous. Just here trouble began again, for once I could 
show that this insect was neither luminous nor harmful, it would 
be stoutly declared that “in that case this was not the true giti- 
ranabvia.” And this is exactly what happened.’ : 
Along the coast south of Bahia? the gitiranabota is called the 
bicho do pau parahy'ba, because it frequents the tree there known 
as the pau parahy'ba (Simaba versicolor St. Hilaire). . 
On one occasion a living specimen was taken to Bahia as a 
great curiosity, and exhibited on exchange, where it was looked 
‘upon and treated with the greatest respect. Dr. Antonio de _ 
Lacerda, a Brazilian gentleman who takes an active and intelli- 
gent interest in entomology, saw the specimen and heard the 
- countryman’s story of the death of a person caused by this very 
e reputation 
_ — lI hada very similar experience in Brazil with a certain snake, Th 
_ Of the salamandro was, if anything, a little worse than that of the gitiranaboia, but 
n the snake was found, and I showed that its bite was not fatal, or even very 
nful, I was told : “ Then that is not the genuine salamandro.” ; 
Specimens of these insects can be had of dealers in Bahia for about 30 cents each. 
