. Phosphorescence; or, The emission of light by minerals, plants, and animals. nsects belong-ing to tlie numerous family of Goleoptera, and insome belonging to the family of Hemiptera. Wepossess also some doubtful observations of tliiskind regarding certain Leindojptera and OrtJio-jptera. First among luminous Coleoptera I must men-tion tlie genus Lamrpyris, to which belong our ownGloiv-iuorms {Vers-luisants or Lampyres of theFrench). There are many species of Lampyris. No in-sects, perhaps_, have given rise to more poeticalsentiments among English authors, some of whomhave termed them stars of
. Phosphorescence; or, The emission of light by minerals, plants, and animals. nsects belong-ing to tlie numerous family of Goleoptera, and insome belonging to the family of Hemiptera. Wepossess also some doubtful observations of tliiskind regarding certain Leindojptera and OrtJio-jptera. First among luminous Coleoptera I must men-tion tlie genus Lamrpyris, to which belong our ownGloiv-iuorms {Vers-luisants or Lampyres of theFrench). There are many species of Lampyris. No in-sects, perhaps_, have given rise to more poeticalsentiments among English authors, some of whomhave termed them stars of the earth/ dia-monds of the night, etc.: pseudonyms they oweto their faculty of emitting a tranquil phosphoriclight, by which they illuminate and decorate ourhedgebanks on fine summer nights. For, if we 186 PROSPSORIC INSECTS. examine tliem in tlie daytime^ these insects, asevery one knows, are not characterized by anyextraordinary feature, nor do they astonish us bytheir beauty. Lampyris noctiluca (fig. 25) is the species mostabundant in England, Belgium, Germany, and the. north of France. We all know it well. We haveall admired it silently shining on the fresh greensward of the country, and we all value this insectfor the agreeable souvenirs which it calls forth aswe contemplate its soft light. These little shiningbeings remind us of our younger days. Theywere shown to us in our early childhood, and wehave been taught to look upon them as somethingmysterious. Those sparks in the grass, what arethey ? Insects ! But the hght! ^ How oftenhave we not heard such questions. Or this, again : Tell me, then,—you, a philosopher,—what is it,definitely, that produces the light of the glow-worm ? ^ To which we can only reply, Thosesparks in the grass have excited the inquisitive- PHOSPHORIC INSECTS. 137 ness of pliilosopliers, no less tlian tlie curiosity ofchildren; but that which is a mystery to the latteris still a secret^ or nearly so^ for the others. Lampyris liemiptera, is a ra
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidphosphorescenceo00phip
