certain festivals young people gallop through the
streets on horseback, brilliantly illuminated, horse and rider, with
these insects, secured in little nets, or cages made of fine twigs woven
together. The effect is marvellous, producing in the dark evening the
appearance of a large moving body of light. "Many wanton, wild
fellowes," as an old writer describes them, rub their faces with the
flesh of a killed cucuius, as boys with us sometimes do with phosphorus,
to frighten or amuse their friends.

[Illustration: The Cucuius, or Lantern-Fly.]

And now we will tell you how to make a very fair--by no means so
brilliant--imitation of the cucuius. By looking at our picture you will
see the shape of the insect. Cut this out of a piece of cork about three
inches long, and make the legs of thin wire (after the manner of the
spider we described in a previous number); then get some strips of thin
tin-foil, and gum them on the back of the cucuius; then paint over the
whole with transparent green color (oil paints if possible). Now gouge
out two holes about the size of the head of a common match, and then cut
off the heads of two common matches, and insert them into the aforesaid
holes, and your cucuius will be complete. To make the eyes shine, rub
them with oil or water. If your insect is painted with oil-colors, you
can place it in a vessel of water, for it is in that element that the
real cucuius shines most brightly.

You can make a still more brilliant imitation of the cucuius by filling
the eye-holes with grains of pure phosphorus, easily procured at a
druggist's, or with a paste made of tallow and phosphorus, which is less
combustible than the pure article. But as both these things are very
dangerous to handle, we would not recommend their use except with the
consent and in the presence of a grown person. Another point with regard
to the handling of phosphorus, which applies also to matches, is that it
is apt to destroy the teeth, particularly where any decay has already
taken place. For this reason only persons with sound teeth are employed
in match factories. Therefore never put the end of a match in your
mouth.

[Illustration: A PLEASANT DAY IN THE COUNTRY.]

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Harper's Young People, September 14,
1880, by Various

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE, SEP 14, 1880 ***

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