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Show A GIANT FIRZFLY. Used by ttio Natives of tho ffrat Indies as an f Hum'n::tor. The great firefly clater noctilueus is an inhabitant of the savannahs of most of the warmer parts of America and the West India islands. It is said to attain a length of eleven and a half inches. In the gloom of night, says All the Year Round, these Cics are extremely ex-tremely luminous, and the effect is brilliant, The light ch'ukly proceeds from four parts, namely, from two glandular spots behind the (yes, and one under each whig. They have the power to cut a'.'i the ii; , 'he at will, in which case the glandular spots become perfectly opaque. The li; lit of Puis wonderful insect by itself is such that if the creature be held in the palm of the hand, print .or manuscript is as easily read as by a. candle. The .aboriginal .abo-riginal natives cage these creatures and make use . ;' them, it is alleged, as lanterns. lan-terns. Ladies adorn themselves with this electric-like luminary. It is related of Don Donnng-o Conde, ' of r viriilv. that '-' wo'0'1 apiir-ar on the evening promenade, wifti a large firefly ornamenting the budde of his broad hat, while a hand of smaller luminous insects surrounded ,it. The same Spaniard lig'htcd his palace with fireflies in silver cages. 1 he. display must have been enchanting-, for at one time the light is ruddy, then there is a change to golden yellow. It is stated that when the Spaniards wore about to land one of their expeditions against Mexico, a panic was cau-ed by tbe.se luminaries. The host of Hit-'. ing lights on land was supposed to tie an indication indi-cation of the enemy arousing their camp to resist the attack. When the English were attacking the West India islands the lirelhes were taken to be a Spanish army advancing with burning- matches ;iga;ust, them, and the upshot was a hasty retract to the ships. |