90 



HISTORY OF MEXICO^ 



branes, and upon the belly one fomewhat larger, of a 

 thin, tranfparent fubHance, which are full of luminous 

 matter, affording a light flrong enough to read by, and 

 to ftiew the way to thofe who travel at night. It fliews 

 mofl light when it flies ; but none at all while it fleeps, 

 as it is then covel-ed with the other opaque membranes* 

 The luminous matter is a white, mealy, vifcid fubflance, 

 which preferves its luminous quality after it has been 

 taken from the body of the Cucujo, and one may draw 

 fhining characters with it, upon a hat. There are great 

 numbers of thefe flying phofphori upon the fea-coafts, 

 and which form upon the neighbouring hills, at night, a 

 very beautiful and brilliant fpe^lacle. The boys eafily 

 catch them by waving a light in the evening, and the 

 beetles, drawn by the light, come into their hands. 

 Some authors have confounded this wonderful infedi: with 

 the glow-worm, but the latter is much fmaller, and much 

 lefs luminous ; is pretty frequent in Europe, and per- 

 fectly common in Mexico. 



The appearance of the fliining beetle is not more plea- 

 fing than that of the Temolin is difagreeable. This is a 

 large beetle of a reddifli chefnut colour, with fix hairy 

 feet, and four toes upon each. There are two fpecies 

 of the T emolin : the one having one horn, in the fore- 

 part of the head ; and the other, two. 



There arc, at leaft, fix diflerent kinds of bees. The 

 firft is the fame with the com.mon bee of Europe, with 

 which it agrees, not only in fize, fliape, and colour, but 

 alfo in its difpofition and manners, and in the qualities 

 of its honey and wax. The fecond fpecies, which differs 

 from the firil only in having no fling, is the bee of Yu- 

 catan and Chiapa, which makes the fine, clear honey of 

 Estabentun^ of an aromatic flavour, fuperior to that of 



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