LANTERN-Fly, in natural history, the name of a very singular kind of insect produced in the West Indies, and carrying a strong light with it in the night. The structure of the trunk of this insect is of the same kind with that of the cicada; and, as it wants the power of making the noise for which the cicada is so famous, it belongs, according to Mr Reamur's distinctions, to that species of insect called the procigale, or procicada.
The glow-worm, and the luminous beetles, with all the other luminous insects we are acquainted with in this part of the world, diffuse their light from a part which is near the extremity of the body, and under the belly; but the lantern-fly gives it from its head. It differs also greatly in the degree of light: for this, in all the insects we are acquainted with, is very feeble; whereas in this fly it is so strong, that Mrs Morian, who is the first that hath well described it, says she could read a small print in a dark night by the light that one of them gave. The eyes of this creature are placed very near the part from whence the light issues; and it is commonly supposed that the use of the light is to show the creature the objects it passes by in its flight; but if we consider the effect of a light so placed, in regard to ourselves, we shall find, that it would by no means answer the same purpose to us. If our whole forehead was covered with a lambent flame in the night, it would rather blind us than shew us any distant objects.—The head of this creature, strictly speaking, is very short, not exceeding the length of one of the rings of the body, if it be measured from its joining with the corcelet to its joining with the lantern; but if that part be accounted a portion of the head, then the head is equal in length to the whole body.—This lantern is wider than it is deep or thick; and has, near its origin, a large protuberance