ae po My pres Yat 
ey oe Pan f ey. 
ane WS NATURAL ‘HISTORY. 157 
aré the banks and hedges adorned with their little 
illuminations, while the nightly traveller is charmed 
with their beauteous fplendor. 
Their luminous power depends on a liquor placed 
at the lower extremity of the infect, which by fuc- 
tion renders it more fhining, or by dilating or con- 
tracting itfelf withdraws or emits it at pleafure. 
That the light is caufed by a fpecies of phofphorus, 
is evident, trom the animal, when crifhed, leaving 
upon the hand a luminous matter, which continues 
its luftre until itis dried. 
_ The perfect infeét flies in autumn evenings, and 
frequents plantations of juniper trees. 
EIS E ae 
FIRE FLY or ruz EASTINDIES. 
"Tus fly is about an inch long, and an inch broad. 
Their head is brown, and has, two {mall horns of 
feelers. They have four wings. On their backs, 
they have a black bag, containmg a.luminous fub- 
ftance, which is concealed by their wings, unlefs ex= 
panded during their flight. In rainy feafons, they 
fwarm among trees, and feed upon their bloffoms. 
Of thefe flies, there are feveral {pecies in the Baftin- 
dies. Being deftined, feemingly, to roam,by night, 
in order to avoid the exceffive heat of the fun by day 
in thofe fultry climates, how providentially nature 
has accommodated them witha {fubftance that ren- 
ders their aerial courfe perceptible to each other ! 
But when they alight, and {warm upon trees, their 
juminous fubitance, being no longer ufeful, is con- 
ccaled and preferved by their clofed wings, 
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