


HEMIPTERA. 
The authors who have figured or defcribed the Chinefe Fulgora, fince Roefel, are De Geer’, Seba ®, 
Sulzer h, and our countryman Edwardsi, De Geer gives a very concife defcription, and no figure; and 
Seba merely obferves, in his defcription of Fulgora Candelaria, “ La Chine produit une autre efpéce du 
méme genre mais beaucoup plus petite et toute differente.” Edwards has given a figure of it in one of the 
plates in his work of Birds. His defcription is certainly uninterefting k. 
Having noticed the feveral authors who have treated on this infect, we come to confider the peculiar 
properties of its fingular genus; and among thefe we find the moft aftonifhing that infects can poffefs, 
that of emanating light: not merely a momentary fhining appearance, as is produced by many vifcous 
fabftances, but a clear and conftant refemblance to the element, fire; and capable of diffufing light to fur- 
rounding objeéts, though totally deftitute of every principle that can do mifchief. To the unphilofophical 
mind it appears at firft impoffible, and it cannot fail to aitonith the beft informed. Indeed, fome readers 
might be inclined to doubt the veracity of travellers in foreign countries, who have feen a vegetable! or an 
animal produce light, if our own country could not fupply us with abundant analogous proofs of fuch 
phenomene. The prefence of this animated phofphorus, if we may fo exprefs it, is obferved on feveral 
infects that are natives of England: it is needlefs to enumerate them, becaufe the moft ftriking example 
mutt be recolleéted by every rural inhabitant, or admirer of poetical fimplicity. 
—-——— “* On every hedge 


«‘ The glow-worm lights his gem, and thro’ the dark 
«¢ A moving radiance twinkles.” THOMSON. 
The account which Madame Merian gave of the effect of the light produced by the Fu/gora Lanterna- 
ria™ was greatly difcredited, though Dr. Grew had related fome furprifing particulars of a fpecimen of it 
f De Geer. Hiftoire des Infectes. 1752. 
g Seba. Thefaurus Nature. 1765. 
h Kenwzeichen der Infeéten (Characteriftics of Infects). 1761. 
i Edwards’s Birds, 4to. London, 1743. 
k « J take it to be a kind of fire-fly, and that part on the head the lantern. The wings are all flat, and the upper ones hard and 
{mooth, like thofe of the Beetle or Scarabaex kind, of which it is a fpecies.” Edwards. 
1 An inftance of this occurs in the fouth of Europe. An account in the Philofophical Tranfactions relates of the Diétamnus Albus 
(Fraxinella), that “ in the ftill evenings of dry feafons it emits an inflammable air, or gas, and flafhes at the approach of acandle, There 
are certain inftances of human creatures who have taken fire fpontaneoufly, and been totally confumed.” 
m The account which Madame Merian has given of the light of the Fulgora Lanternaria is fo furprifing, that it will certainly prove 
acceptable to many readers. It is indeed a digreffion from the account of Fulgora Candelaria, but will tend to prove, that infeéts of this 
genus emit a more vivid light than any of the illuminated kinds hitherto Known. 
© Once,” fays Madame Merian, “ when the Indians brought me a number of thefe Lantern carriers, 
but one night, being awakened by an unufual noife, and much frightened, I jumped out of 
I put them into a wooden box, 
wichout being aware of their fhining at night ; 
bed, and ordered a light, not knowing whence this noife proceeded. We foon perceived that it originated in the box ; we opened with fome 
but were ftill more alarmed, after opening it, and letting it fall on the ground, for a flame appeared to iffue from it, which 
inquietude, 
When we obferved this fome time, we recovered from our 
feemed to receive additional luftre, as often as another infect flew out of it. 
terror, and admired the fplendour of thefe little animals.”’ Differt. de generatione et metamorphibus InfeEtorum Surinamenfis. 

