as foon as we found that it came from the box, we 
opened it, but were alarmed ftill much more, and let 
it fall to the ground in a fright at feeing a flame of fire 
come out of it; and as many animals as came out, fo 
many flames of fire appeared. When we found this to 
be the cafe, we recovered from our fright, and again 
collected the infedts, much admiring their fplendid 
appearance.” She adds, that the light of one of thefe 
infedis is fo vivid that a perfon may fee to read a news¬ 
paper by it. 
It may not be improper to obferve, that though 
Madam Merian has given good figures of the Fire-Fly, 
yet, by way of explaining the change from its fuppofed 
larva into the complete infedf, flie feems to have intro¬ 
duced an imaginary figure, reprefenting the Cicada 
I ibicen with the head of a Fulgora. The light emit¬ 
ted by the Fire-Fly proceeds entirely from the hollow 
part, or Lantern of the head ; no other part of the ani¬ 
mal being luminous. 
