The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-11-28

is really come as soon as he sees the
first freely flashing its little light be- 4
meath the trees on some evening IN
early June These accommodating
insects seem 70 know how nu"h IN
terest the children take in them. foi
they are not al all particular ABOUT
their surroundings and are almost az
abundant in the city as in the coun-
try. if cnly they can have q strip OF
grass or few trees They are more
plentiful some seasons than in others
ard this is plainly one Of their Sooo
years, for they are to be seen in great
numbers every pleasant evening.
The common freely or lightning
bug, as many call it, belongs to the
great family OF beetles. Although sc
often seen and 80 easily caught, this
little fellow should be held in mucE :.
respect, for he manages to veil hi3 III
self in certain kind Of mystery, al.
is one Of the insects whose life hiss
tory is something OF puzzle to the
naturalist. Ibis is because. In his.
larva Or caterpillar state, he lives
under ground around the roots OF
plants or within ana about the oarf
OF trees, where he can seldom %
found and studied. His flashing light
too. is another point at watch he
battles science. Many learned mer
have spent hours in trying to dis
cover what is the exact nature Of his
light and what causes H. ~ no oAe
foI4 vl,r ri
mas ever 1et pe'2ecty s7I'sH@V VIE
the results OF TINS study ana our
clever FREELY still Keeps ms secret "
himself.
Boys who try to iI&ht a La2teA by
tho tail Of g fFs'iy soon md fF'at enc
light Of TIE insect sheds no neat anc
Garnet hrEH. me hretY hef@5 hN
iE't u ,ho lower n2~t OF hi hoey Of
ah'.00'eo. CIR e"E9o'on 3i'afT seen
in cities IS Gre NJ me SMALLEST KIND
out boys and girls IN toe country nave
De-1a25 sce9 larger c29 t22t give!
9 brighter lfGNt tiiHn the o5Aor, al
ways sending its l'Ght in two or taret
successive flashes. These love the
weeds, ana their hroWa,sh larvae are
cutie luminous. Push aside the CRY
leaves at the edge OF WOOD sons
evening, a7d you may find tecse lar
vac crawling about on their many feet
and glowing with soft light on the
ground They probably feed on roots
and are not hard TO catch
Some OF the large2t and most in
tcrasting firefies known are faose
found IN Cuba and Mexico, Walct
feed chiefly on the auSHr cane IN the :,
planja'lonS, These are rom oGe r.
one and nan lnches long, &""' III
EEa their northern cousins. e-.'& taeh
light from two spots on the th2raX
or upper part OF, the body. Tney are
dusty brown IN color. ana 40 MOI
fash aS freely as the little iello"s
in this country, who seem to O. u as
a kind Of play, but throw the bright
est light when they are irrit&te5 OF
disturbed. Women mt them IN !ittlt
gaNae nets and tie them IN their halr
or wear them on their dresses as or
r&neNtS for the flref]ics, in their anx
ioiy TO be free, struggle and fash con
finally.
Wocderful stories are told OF these
Cuban freAies. Photogrn9hs are sale
TO have been taken by their light, The
Historian Mouffet tells us that When
Sir Thomas Cavendich, an Epglish
navigator of the sixteenth century
first landed in the West indies, his
party was suddenly alarmed in the
early evening by a multitude Of lights
in the woods, and, thinking . party
of hostile spaniards had come upon
thcm with torches, all fed in haste
to their ships. The Englshmen soor
learned that they had seen nothing