, 1879-04-20

THE POBLANA AND THE COCUYO.
Vern Cru: Letter to Ne1o Ynrk ErentnQ Posi-.
In the more unpretentious streets, the homes
Of the sovereign people, can be seen the play Of
the lovers repeated on smaller scale. There
it is the poblana, in place OF the high-bred dame
that IS the cynosure and belle OF the night.
Standing In the low window fronting on the
street, or in the opcu doorway Of the singlestory
dwelling, she chats freely with her group Of
male admirers. She has discarded the rcboza
which half conceals her glowing charms BY day,
and gives way to certain abandon Of manner,
born Of the June climate and the soft twilight.
The o1ire-tintcd epidermis OF her arms and
shoulders contrast prett1ly with the snow-whfte
chcmse and variegated colors OF petticoat
aud sash, Occasionally the tfght-titting Anda-
lusian bodice is seen, but for the most
part the bust is covered with the loose, semi
transparent chcmise alone. Considered artistic
ally, the poblana is a far more picturesque figure
than the stately dame Of the housetop, while
neither in point OF beauty nor In tastefu!ness Of
attire does she suffer bY com mparison. Like all
the daughters OF the tropics, she has an insatia-
bic passion for adornnent, gratitied In her case
by the me airing OF profusion Of bright-colored
flowers in her hair, or sparkling cocuyo, the
brilliant FREELY OF tbe tropics. The latter spe-
ces Of ornament is much affected By the bellies
of the lower orders, though not on that account
banished from the tresses OF the ar1stocracy.
Its sheen outrivals that OF diamonds, becoming
brighter and Brighter as the twilight increases,
until, in the darkness Of the night, it shines
brilliant us gas-jet.
This grand freely (which Mayne Reid has
described so we'll that one must pilfer from his
account( beside which the ordinary "lightntng-
bug'' Of the United States is the merest far
thing dip. is found along alaree part OF the Gulf
coast. 1t Is seldom seen in swarnls, but only in
twos md threes, its most common resort being
the fields of sugar-cane, the juice OF which
forms its principal food. Following the habits
of other night beetles, it is difficult to catch,
and so becomes marketable commodity, being
exposed for sale with other wares by the
Indians. The cocuyo presents much the ap-
pearance OF the ordinary beetle, an inch or more
in length, of glossy brown color. Its brilliant
sparkle is derived from eye-]ite spots, the size
Of large shot, appearing like globes Of fire, and
from broad disc OF phosphorescence upon its
abdomen when it spreads its wings in flight.
OF such illuminating power is it that with three
or four cocuyos placed under IN inverted
tqmGef gpe while rta T one s'a held me in Re 's a
gers the dial Of watch may be consulted
in the darkest night as satisfactorily as
by the light Of cigar. As IN ornament they
are used principally on the hair, though often
small loop-like integument underneath the
,thorax furnishes the means by which the insect
may be secured upon pin, seemingly suffering
no Inconvenience from the PROCESS except that
Of beng connned. II IS, OF course, the living
heetle that is thus confined: when dead, the
freely loses its phosphoric brlliancy. To pass
for gem OF the first water it must not only be
alive, but in good health. To this end it is kept
in small. casket, like any other jewel,---a
casket made Of sugar-canc.-and is generally
led By the fair creatures of whose trousseau it
forms a part. Its usual food is the juice of the
sugar-caue, small pieces of which, freshly peel
ed, are placed from time to time in its cage. In
the evening it is taken out Of its casket, impaled
upon long pin, and arranged in tile paits Of
the hair in such position that its cleaning la1nps
can be fully seen. No Empress in her tiara Of
diamonds can exceed the brllliaucy OF poblana
with wreath of cocuTos sparkling from her
uuruIc black hair,