Page:The History of the Island of Dominica.djvu/76

 noie, it in a hort time aws the branch aunder. They are by many called elephant flies, from the great reemblance of their heads to that animal; they are perfectly harmles, and are caught only to be kept as curioities.

The blackmith fly, is o called from its making a noie refembling in ound the triking on iron. In the centre of its back is a projecting horny point, and a crevice of the ame nature on the hind part of the head, near the houlders, which being truck together by a jerk of the head and body, make a tinkling noie, that may be heard at a coniderable ditance; and o elatic is the membrane which joins the head and body together, that, if the inect is laid on its back, it will pring to a tolerable height upwards, and fall directly on its legs. It differs very little from the beetle in hape or ize, excepting in its elatic powers, and making o ingular a noie. The