But to the Casual Observer there is only one variety of Firefly.… Like Wordsworth’s primrose:
The Firefly with fitful glim
Is just a Lightning Bug to him
And it is nothing more.
In reality there are almost as many different kinds of Firefly in the United States alone as there are varieties of the great American Pickle.
The late Professor Hagen of Harvard College, it is said, when enjoying the beauties of Nature one night in the company of the Casual Observer, was aroused from an apparent reverie by the question “Have you noticed the Fireflies, Professor?”
“Yes,” replied Professor Hagen, “I have already counted thirteen distinct species.”
Another quite different story is told of a well-known English actress—Cecilia Loftus, if you insist on knowing her name. It was her first visit to America and Miss Loftus was sitting with another Casual Observer on the piazza of a country house whose grounds were separated from the road by a belt of trees.
“Do you see the Fireflies?” said the Casual Observer, pointing toward the road.
“Fireflies!” exclaimed Cecilia, “why, I thought they were hansom-cab lights!”