88 
NATURAL HISTORY OT 
cidae — will not frequently find other natural pro- 
ductions on which it can repose with greater plea- 
sure. Such indeed is the splendour of some kinds, 
that the wing-cases and other parts are often worn 
as ornaments instead of precious stones. *' 1 A pe- 
culiar and scarce night-fly,” says a writer on Japan, 
speaking of a species of beetle, “ is of such incom- 
parable beauty that it is kept by the ladies among 
their curiosities, and has given rise to the following 
fable : They say that all the other night-flies, owing 
to the unparalleled beauty of this little creature, 
fall in love with it, and in order to get rid of their 
importunities, it maliciously bids them (for a trial 
of their constancy) to go and fetch fire. The blind 
lovers scruple not to obey commands, and flying to 
the next fire or candle, they never fail to burn them- 
selves.”* Notwithstanding the beauty which many 
tropical species retain when brought to this country, 
and even after they have been preserved for many 
years in our cabinets, it cannot be supposed to equal 
that of their living state. In that condition only 
can there be a full development of their , finer and 
more evanescent shades of colour — while their po- 
lished surfaces must be of dazzling brilliancy when 
seen under the light of a tropical sun, in angles con- 
tinually varying with the motion of the animals, 
which are thus rendered no unfit associates of the 
Lories, Creepers, and other “ birds of gorgeous plu- 
Kempfer’s History of Japan. 
