FULGORA LATERNARIA. 155 
front of the head projects into a sort of 
beak, resembling the bill of a duck, which 
is hollow, and extremely transparent ; and 
from this little lantern the light is dif- 
fused* 
Lucy, The light of the fulgora, then^ 
I see, is very diflferently placed from that 
of the lampyris. 
Mother. And it is far more vivid, for 
by the light of a single fly a small print 
may be distinctly read. 
The elytra also are transparent, and 
variegated with green and brown ; and 
its membranaceous wings are decorated 
with coloured spots, like the eyes in a 
peacock's tail. 
Lucy. What a beautiful creature, 
mamma, even in the day time ! 
Mother. But at night, when myriads 
of those fulgorse flit among the woods, 
you can scarcely conceive the brilliancy 
of the effect ; at a little distance they ap- 
pear like incessant flashes of faint light- 
ning ; and on a nearer approach their 
