The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-07-22
Jewelry Alive-Beetles as Ornaments.

Jewelry Alive-Beetles as Ornaments.
'Here is something new in the way
OF ornamentation," q salesman in q
large uptown jewelry store said, open
Ing box. Out walked monster bee
tie, fully four inches in length. About
its body was solid gold band, locked
by a tiny paddock, to which was at
tached costly gold chain, about two
inches in length, fastened to pin. The
beetles back glistened in light, having
been treated to dress of gold, and as
it numbered along its long legs worked
toge her in curious fashion. 'sIt's a
shawl-pin. You see the pin is used to
fasten lace or shawl, or perhaps worn
On the bonnet, the insect crawling
around the length of the chain. They
are perfectly harmless and not expen-
sive, as they live on air-that is, they
have never been seen to eat. This one
was brought here to mount, which is
very fine operation, as the legs and an
tenna are ali so delicate. After all,
there is nothing Objectionable about
them, except the idea of having them
crawl over you. They all come from
South America, and the only lot in the
city is to be taken to France, where the
owner will try to introduce the fashion
of wearing them. They cost from ten
to fifty dollars, depending entirely on
the amount of the ring. There is
nothing cruel about it, as they are
bound loosely, and the gold has no effect
upon their hard sides.'
In Brazil the fashion of wearing bee
ties is carried to great extent. A
well-known resident has beetle with
collar of gold which meets, at the top
and is there ornamented with dia-
mond of great value. The insect has a
cage, surrounded by the plants among
which it lives in its native state, and
nothing is neglected to make it as COM
Portable as possible. But the most pop
ular insect used for ap ornament in
Brazil is small phosphorescent beetle.
These are often worn fastened in the
hair, and as the two phosphorescent or
ight-giving spots are on the sides of the
head, the black insect is, of course, in
visible, especially when in the raven
locks of the fair Brazilians. Twenty
or thirty of these beetles will
throw out light sufficient to read
by, and when arranged around
the head in circle, or grouped over
the forehead and held in place, the ef
feet is beautiful.
Several years ago New York lady
gave masquerade ball at her summer
house in Newport. The dancing was
on the lawn, and the guests were re-
quested to be there half an hour before
dark. The hostess wore the costume of
night, and in the daylight her black silk
dress, covered with ivy leaves, did not
attract special attention, but when she
appeared in the gay throng after dark
she presented perfect blaze of light,
and was the center of the admiring and
wondering company. Tremulous waves
of red and yellow flame seemed to move
over her entire dress, while in a cap
on her head cleaned one great fiery
star. The cause of this Illumination
was the phosphorescent light of more
than five thousand frefies. For weeks
previous to the ball the designer of the
costume had been storing away fireflies,
and on the day of the fete they were
rapidly put on the dress. As the light
giving spot is on the ventral surface,
each one was placed on its back and
held down by a fine silver wire, so skill
fully caught that it could not turn over
or escape, and was not injured. The
star was formed of many beetles.
In Jamaica large beetle, the lampy-
ris, is used by ladies. Some of the phos-
phorescent beetles used by them give
out lights that have to be seen to be ap-
preciated, and more than twenty differ
ent kinds are used, representing as many
different degrees of light, shade, tint,
etc. One, the pygolampis, has rich
orange color, changing to yellow, flick
ering in intermittent flashes of light;
another, called photuris, is curious for
Che gradual increase of light it shows;
commencing with faint reddish hue, it
rapidly grows in brilliancy, finally blaz-
ing like torch, rich green light, and
then dying away to reappear again.
They attract other ight-giving beetles,
and frequently numbers of lesser lights
are seen fitting around them, combining
red and yellow lights of the greatest
brilliancy. Other uses are made of these
beautiful creatures than as ornaments.
Travellers have fastened them to their
feet and carried them in baskets of wick
er to light their way in the dark.
Southey mentions this in the following
lines in his poem, "Madoc:''
She beckened, and descended, and drew out
From underneath her vest a cage, or net
1t rather might be called, so fine the twigs
Which knit it, where, confined, two firef1ies
gave
Their luster.
Snakes have been used as ornaments,
the small, inoffensive green snakes be-
ing the most popular, on account OF
their beauty and harmless nature. They
coil around the arm, clnging on with
all the tenacity of their golden, bejew-
BILE. Animals, or parts of them, al
though naturally the adjuncts of bar
y Il