NATURAL HISTORY. 13g 
The Welt-Indian Fire-Flie, Pere de Tertre affirms, is like a living — 
far, of which there are great numbers, that in dark nights make the 
@ir feem full of curious lights, which fhine and fparkle more than the 
ars in the fky: they do not thine at all in the day, and therefore are 
Hever taken notice of by any that are unacquainted with them: they 
Nave fomewhat of the appearance of dirty Beetles, and they delight to 
€ among rotten wood till the fun is fet, and then they fly here and 
there, feeming to be fo many lighted candles carried in the woods and 
oufes, by invifible hands: they will purfue the light of a candle, and 
ther things that {parkle or fhine, with fo much ardour, that they of. 
ten kill chemfelves, like our Moths, efpecially if a burning coal is laid 
i their way. He tells us very gravely, and no doubt with fome truth, 
that the poorer popifh clergy, when they want candles or oil, catch 
®ne of thefe Flies, by whofe light they will be able to read their matins 
as eafily as if they had a lamp. While they are alive and in full health, 
@ flame feems to proceed from all parts of the body; but when they are 
ck, it grows weak, and when they die, it is quite extinguifhed. When: 
they are caught, they live but fifteen days, or three weeks at moft. 
The Fire-Flie of Martinico mentioned by Pere du Tertre, is not fo 
Tge as a common Flie: they yield a fort of fparkling golden light, 
Which is extremely agreeable; but they will often hide it for a little 
While, and then they begin to fhine again, and thus they continue all 
the night: this fhining refides in a fort of white fubftance, of which 
they are full, and they can make it appear through the chinks of their 
in, when they pleafe. ; 
Of Flies which in a worm ftate feed upon trees and plants, and the 
infects thereon, are, 
t. The Fiie with a black oval body, with two marks in the fhape of 
alfmoons, and three yellow belts. : 
2. The Fie with an oval body, and three pair of whitith half moons, 
®alled by authors, the Elephant’s trunk. It feeds in its worm-fate, 
®n the pear tree. 
3. The oblong yellow-bodied F%e with black tranfverfe lines, 
4- The oblong yellow-bodied Fie with three pair of yellow fpots. . 
5. The long-bodied Fiie with fix three-cornered yellow f{pots. 
. 6. The Fie with the body in the fhape of a cylinder, with fix fpots 
™ the fhape of half-moons, on the back. - 
7. The grey lie with four black fpots on the back. 
8. The oblong-bodied Fie whofe hinder legs are largeft. | 
9. The Fite whofe body is marked with three yellow circular lines. 
Of Flies that have variegated bodies, there are, 
1, The black Fie with the bafes of the wings of an iron-grey. 
_ 2. The Fiie with a grey breait, and the bafe of the belly marked with 
® yellow fpot, and having the edges of the fegments whitith. 
3- The black Fie with all the fegments of the body, except the firft, 
Yellow, and a black mark in the middle. 
4. The Fie with a yellow breaft, with four yellow tranfverfe lines, 
°0 the belly part, the firft being larger than the ref, and interrupted, 
5. The Fie with four yellow ftreaks on the breaft, and three of the 
feements of the belly part yellow. ee 
6. The black Fie with a white body, and two black flreaks thereort. 
a 
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