40-1 The Animal-Lore of Shahspeare s Time. 
On this passage his commentator remarks :— 
“ Oviedo in the 15 booke of the history of the Indies ch. 8. xnaketh 
mention of this little bird, which he found in the ile of Hispaniola and 
in other neighbouring places. He is very little, as of the thicknesse of 
a mans thumbe, or thereabouts; he hath two wings very strong and 
hard under which he hath two other little wings very thin which 
appeare not, but when he extendeth his other to fly; then are they 
seene (besides his two eyes shining like two burning candles) yeelding 
so great light that all about is enlightened. He flyeth not but by 
night. The Indians make use of them for candles both in time of warre, 
and of peace, and they yeeld them a farre greater light than our glow- 
wormes doe. ... In a word the cucuye is the king of creatures which 
shine by night.” (A Learned Summary on Du Bartas.) 
Oviedo also informs ns that the Indians managed to 
obtain a phosphorescent paste from the bodies of these- 
flies, with which they smeared their faces. He admits 
that this statement is somewhat incredible, as the light 
vanishes with the creature’s life. He relates that when 
Sir Thomas Cavendish and Sir Kobert Dudley, son of the 
Earl of Leicester, first landed in the West Indies, by 
night, they saw to their astonishment a number of moving 
candles and torches among the trees. Thinking these 
lights were caused by an attacking body of Spaniards, they 
retreated with great haste to their ships, and only by 
degrees found out their mistake. 
“ They shall be of the lady-cow, 
a yhir . The dainty shell upon her back, 
Of crimson strewed with spots of black.” 
(Drayton, The Muses Elysium.') 
The pretty spotted Ladybird, the favourite of country 
children, has received a great variety of names. It was 
called cush-cow lady, dowdy-cow, and May-bug or golden- 
bug. In Eorby’s Vocabulary of East Anglia (p. 130),. 
notice is taken of the strange name sometimes given to this 
insect, Bishop Barnaby :—- 
“ It is sometimes called Bishop Benebee, sometimes Bishop Benetree,. 
