PHOSPHORIC BEETLE. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Antennae setaceous. 
Body oblong, and provided with an elastic spine which 
projects from the under side of the thorax. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Elater noctilucus. E. thoracis lateribus macula flava glabra. 
Linn. Syst. Nat. Gmel. 1. ip02. 
Thorax marked on each side by a smooth 
yellow spot. 
Elater Ftrscus, thoracis lateribus macula 
flava glabra convexa nitida. Degeer 
Ins. 4. p. 100. no. 2. pi. 18. f. 1. 
Elater major fuscus phosphoricus. Brown 
Jam. 432. t. 44. f. 10. 
Phosphoric Beetle. Shaiv Gen. Zool. 6. p. 84. 
This luminous insect, which is about an inch and 
a half in length, is an inhabitant of South America, 
where it diffuses so strong a light, during the night, 
that it is said a person may easily see to read by it, 
if held between the fingers and moved along the 
lines. Eight or ten of them inclosed in a clear 
glass phial are supposed to give as much light as a 
VOL. II. v 
