OCR Text |
Show H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. one eye in each. Of Spunges, and Lithophyts, there are many rare and ftngular fpecies. Hernandez give~ us a print of a fpungc, fent to him from the J>a.cific OceaQ, which was of the il1ape of a man·s· hand, but with teQ. .or more :fingers; of a clay colour, with black points and red !h:ea,ks, and was harder than the common fpunges. Defcending, at length, to the finaller creatures, in which the power and wifdom of the Creator efpecially appear; we D1all divide the innumera:blc multitude of Mexican infeCI:s into three claffes, the flying, the terreftrial, and the aquatic; although there are land and water infeCI:s which afterwards become flying infeCts, and might be confidered as belonging to diftercnt clafies, at different times. Among the flying infeCts are, beetles, bees, wafps, flies, gnats, butterflies, anQ. grafshoppers. The beetles are of feveral kinds, and moftly harmlefs. Some of them are of a green colour, and ca1led by the Mexicans, Majatl; which, by the great noife they make in flying, afford amufement to children. There are o 1ers black, of a difagreeable ii11ell and irregular form, which are called Pinacat/. The CuctfJo or D1ining beetle, which heft deferves our notice, has been mentioned by many authors, but not hitherto, as far as I know, defcribed by any one. It is more than an inch 'in length; and, like other flying beetles, is furnllhcd with double wings. Upon the head, is a finall, moveable horn, which is of great ufe to it; for if at any time it happens to be turned over and laid upon its back, it is by means of this horn, by thrufting and prefiing it into a membrane fomewhat like a bag, which it has upon the be1Iy, that this infeCt: recovers its natural pofition. Near the eyes are two iinall membranes, and upon the bclJy one fomewhat larger, of a thin, tranfparent fubftancc, which are full of luminous matter, affording a light fl:rong enough to read by, and to D1ew the way to thofe who travel at night. It D1ews mofl: light when it flies; but none at all while it Deeps, as it is then covered with the other opnque membranes. The lnminous matter is a white, mealy, vifcid fubftance, which prcfervcs its luminous quality after it has been taken fi·om the body of the Cucnjo, aml o.ne may draw £hining charaCI:ers wi.t);l it, upon a hat. There are great numbers .of thcfc flying ,phofphori upon ".the fea - coafts, and which form upon th e! neigh- K 2 boming • , .B..O__O_K_ _I•, SsoT. XIV. 'fh c In fccb of Mcxi110. |