In Mme. Merian’s work on the insects of Surinam, she says, “The Indians once brought me, before I knew that they shone at night, a number of these lantern-flies, which I shut up in a large wooden box. In the night they made such a noise that I awoke in a fright, and ordered a light to be brought, not knowing from whence the noise proceeded. As soon as we found that it came from the box, we opened it, but were still much more alarmed, and let it fall to the ground in a fright, _at seeing a flame of fire_ come out of it; and as many animals as came out, so many flames of fire appeared. When we found this to be the case, we recovered from our fright, and again collected the insects, highly admiring their splendid appearance.” Such a statement naturally attracted attention; and, from its publication until the present, collectors have endeavored to substantiate it. Count Hoffmansegg states that his insect collector Sieber, who was a practical entomologist of thirty years’ experience, took many specimens of _F. lanternaria_ in Brazil, but never saw one emit light. The Marquis Spinola, in the annals of the “Entomological Society of France,” vol. xiii., contends for the luminosity of the entire tribe. On the other hand, M. Richard succeeded in raising a species of _Fulgora_, but failed to observe the light; while M. Westmael assures us that a friend of his observed the luminosity. John C. Branner, Ph.D., states that when in South America he was often informed that it was luminous, but never could find any one who had personally seen the light. Snr. Luiz A. A. de Carvalho, jun., of Rio de Janeiro, who had fine specimens in his cabinet, assured him that he knew of no evidence whatever that they produced light. In the article on phosphorescence in the last edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, Mr. William E. Hoyle, F.R.S., of the “Challenger” expedition, apparently accepts the _Fulgora_ as a light-giver; as he says, “Whilst the lantern-flies, _Fulgoridæ_, carry their light at the extremity of a long, curved proboscis.” Professor P. Martin Duncan writes, “It is doubtful if the _Fulgora_, so often described in books as the lantern-fly, has a scarlet light, if any at all.”