. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. 334 JflATURAL HISTORY. covering the liead, and by their power of emitting light. Tliis striking phenomenon, which has attracted popuhir attention in all countries where species of the family are found, is due, as in the Fire-flies, to phosphorescent particles concentrated in certain parts of the body. In the Fire-flies the sacs of luminous matter are contained in the prothorax ; in the Lampyridae they are localised in two or three of the abdominal segments. The two eminent anatomists, Kolliker and Macaire, are agreed that the granules whic
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. 334 JflATURAL HISTORY. covering the liead, and by their power of emitting light. Tliis striking phenomenon, which has attracted popuhir attention in all countries where species of the family are found, is due, as in the Fire-flies, to phosphorescent particles concentrated in certain parts of the body. In the Fire-flies the sacs of luminous matter are contained in the prothorax ; in the Lampyridae they are localised in two or three of the abdominal segments. The two eminent anatomists, Kolliker and Macaire, are agreed that the granules which give forth the light are of albuminous nature ; but Matteucci has assured himself by cliemical analysis that they do not contain phosphorus. He says the luminous granules form part of a yellowish pul]iy tissue lying underneath the transparent plates of the abdomen, which are visible in all Lampyridoe possessing the faculty, even in the dried specimens. This mass of tissue is permeated with nerves, and with ramifications of fine tracheae, or tubes : the one supplying the air to feed the combustion which goes on whea the light is shining, and the other the stimulus of the will of the This description applies to the common European species {Lamj'ijris noctiluca), abundant in many of the English southern counties. In this, as is well known, the female is wingless, resembling the larva state of the species, and gives forth a more brilliant light than the winged male. In very many exotic si)ecies both sexes are winged, some of the larger ones emitting a very conspicuous light, which, when many hundreds are seen at onceâas often happens on dark sultry nights in the tropicsâ foim a â veiy beautiful sight, the phosphoies^ent lamps glitteung in the bushes, or slowly moving and mtei ciossing in the an, as the insects flv ft cm tiee to tiee Obseiveis are agreed that these beive as beacons to attiact the s<^\.es to oil in itli i ml tin Re\ H S Gorham, who has studied
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