d this
phenomenon, which was produced by thousands of _elaterides_, insects
which have on each side of the thorax a yellowish spot which becomes
luminous in the dark.

Nothing could be more curious than to see innumerable glittering spots
rising, falling, and crossing one another with extraordinary rapidity;
one might have fancied it a tree bearing flowers of fire waving about in
the breeze. L'Encuerado came up with a specimen, which lighted up his
hand with a greenish glimmer. Lucien took possession of it, and the two
luminous spots looked to him like two enormous eyes. Suddenly the insect
gave a kind of shock to the boy's fingers, who looked at us full of
surprise.

"The name of the insect," said Sumichrast, "is derived from a Greek word
which signifies elastic; and it has just shown you that it well deserves
the family name which has been given to it. Examine for an instant how
it is shaped; the angles of its corslet form sharp points; added to
this, its sternum also terminates in a point which the insect can insert
at will into the cavity which exists under its second pair of legs. The
women in the _Terre-Chaude_, by passing a pin through this natural ring,
can fix this brilliant insect as an ornament in their hair, without
injuring it in the least. Now, then, place it on its back."

"It's pretending to be dead!" cried Lucien.

"Yes; it does that, like many other kinds of insects, in order to
deceive an enemy about to seize it."

"Oh, how it jumps!" exclaimed Lucien.

"That is its only means of getting on its feet again, when it has had
the misfortune of falling on its back. Look; it pushes the point which
terminates its chest against the edge of the hole situated lower down;
then it raises its head, piff! paff! you might fancy it was a spring
going off. It didn't succeed the first time, but now it is up on its
legs, and now you've lost it, for it has flown off!"

Lucien's first impulse was to dart off in pursuit of it, as the route it
had taken was shown by its luminous appendages. But it was long past our
usual hour for repose, so we all sheltered ourselves as well as we
could, and dreamt of our next day's adventures.

Day-break found us all up, and already comforted with a cup of coffee.
We had been troubled during the night by mosquitoes; but they were only
the harbingers of the legions which are before us. Lucien, full of
impatience, could not take his eyes off the entrance of the cave, and
followed a