172 
NATTJEAL RISTOEY OP 
that is, without teeth or other appendage. But 
these insects are best known by the remarkable 
property which many of them possess of diffusing 
a phosphoric light, a peculiarity which has suggest- 
ed a name for them in every country where they 
occur. Only one species, L. noctiluca , is to be 
found in Britain. It is abundant in some of the 
southern counties of England, but occurs very sel- 
dom in Scotland, although it has been noticed in 
several places in the southern division of that coun- 
try. One of the most interesting of those indige- 
nous to Europe, is named 
LAMPYRIS ITALICA. 
PLATE VIII. Fig. 2. 
Lampyris Italica, Linn — Otivier, Entom. ii. No. 20, p. 18, 
pi. 2, fig. 12, a, 6, c , d — Lampyris australis, Fab . — Co- 
liphotia Italica, Dejean. 
This is one of the smallest luminous insects with 
which we are acquainted, the ordinary length not 
exceeding three lines and a half. The prevailing 
hue is blackish brown. The thorax and scutellum 
are reddish yellow, pretty deeply punctured and pu- 
bescent, and the former has sometimes a dusky spot 
in the centre. The elytra are somewhat rough with 
numerous and rather deeply impressed punctures. 
The breast and legs (with the exception of the 
tarsi) are yellow, and the abdomen dusky black, 
