238 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



Nothing could be more curious than to see innumerable 

 glittering spots rising, falling, and crossing one another 

 with extraordinary rapidity ; one might have fancied it a 

 tree bearing flowers of fire waving about in the breeze. 

 L'Encuerado came up with a specimen, which lighted up 

 his hand with a greenish glimmer. Lucien took possession 

 of it, and the two luminous spots looked to him like two 

 enormous eyes. Suddenly the insect gave a kind of shock 

 to the boy's fingers, who looked at us full of surprise. 



" The name of the insect," said Sumichrast, " is derived 

 from a Greek word ^hich signifies elastic; and it has just 

 shown you that it well deserves the family name which has 

 been given to it. Examine for an instant how it is shaped ; 

 the angles of its corslet form sharp points ; added to this, 

 its sternum also terminates in a point which the insect can 

 insert at will into the cavity which exists under its second 

 pair of legs. The women in the Terre- Chaiide, by passing 

 a pin through this natural ring, can fix this brilliant insect 

 as an ornament in their hair, without injuring it in the 

 least. Now, then, place it on its back." 



" It's pretending to be dead !" cried Lucien. 



" Yes ; it does that, like many other kinds of insects, in 

 order to deceive an enemy about to seize it." 



" Oh, how it jumps !" exclaimed Lucien. 



"That is its only means of getting on its feet again, 

 when it has had the misfortune of falling on its back. 

 Look ; it pushes the point which terminates its chest against 

 the edge of the hole situated lower down ; then it raises its 

 head, piff ! paff ! you might fancy it was a spring going 

 off. It didn't succeed the first time, but now it is up on 

 its legs, and now you've lost it, for it has flown off !" 



Lucien's first impulse was to dart off in pursuit of it, as 

 the route it had taken was shown by its luminous appen- 

 dages. But it was long past our usual hour for repose, so 



/ 



