430 
Mr. W. L. Distant on 
collector_, Sieber_, who passed some years in Brazil and 
took many specimens, also became a hostile witness.* 
Lacordaire never saw a luminous individual of this 
species either in Brazil or Oayenne^f nor had the Prince 
von NieuwiedjJ whilst Dr. Hancock published a paper 
in which he considered the recorded luminosity as 
entirely fabulous. § Since then the observations of all 
entomologists in the East have shown that the so-called 
Lantern-flies of that region are universally non-luminous, 
and, as I have for years particularly studied and col- 
lected the group, I have made many enquiries on the 
point of collectors abroad, and always eliciting the same 
negative testimony. 
On the other hand, Madame Merian's statement has 
been supported by M. Wesmael, on the authority of a 
friend who had seen the insect alive, || and this induced 
the Marquis Spinola to contend for the luminous 
character of the cephalic protuberance in the whole 
group.lf 
Kow the reconciling of. these conflicting testimonies 
has long been to me a complete enigma, for I 
stipulate for the truth of Madame Merian being 
admitted, whilst my study of the family has con- 
stantly drawn my attention to the question. Lacor- 
daire proposed that the explanation might be found in 
the fact of only one of the sexes being luminous. But 
this proposition does not help us. The question is, What 
did Madame Merian really see ? If a man whom I knew 
to be sane and truthful tells me he has seen the great 
sea-serpent, I neither believe in that animal nor doubt his 
veracity. I merely ask the same question. What did 
he see to induce him to form that conclusion ? 
I think the key, at least, to such an explanation may 
be found in an excellent paper quite recently published 
by Peter Schmidt, of the Zoological Laboratory of the 
" Der Gesellschaf t Naturf. Fr. zu Berlin Mag.," i., p. 153. 
t " Introd. a I'Ent.," ii., p. 143. 
X "Reise nach Bras." torn, ii., p. 111. 
§ "Proo. Zool. Soc, 1834." 
II " Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr.," App., 1837. % Ibid., viii., p. 163. 
For these references, I am now, away from my library, entirely 
dependent on those two entomological epoch making publications, 
Kirby and Spence's "Introduction," and Westwood's "Modern 
Classification."— W. L. D. 
