NOCTILUCA. 43 



CHAPTER IV. 



See, as they float along, the entangled weeds 

 Slowly approach, upborne on bladdery beads ; 

 Wait till they land, and you shall then behold 

 The fiery sparks those tangled fronds infold 

 Myriads of living points ; the unaided eye 

 Can but the fire, and not the form, descry. 

 And now your view upon the ocean turn, 

 And there the splendour of the waves discern : 

 Cast but a stone, or strike them with an oar, 

 And you shall flames within the deep explore ; 

 Or scoop the stream phosphoric as you stand, 

 And the cold fire shall flash along your hand ; 

 When, lost in wonder, you shall walk and gaze 

 On weeds that sparkle and on waves that blaze." 



NOCTILUCA. 



READER, in thy enthusiasm for natural history, has it 

 ever been thy fate to lose thyself on a dark night upon 

 the Yorkshire coast ? if not, let me give thee timely 

 warning that such an accident is neither good for thy 

 comfort or thy health. 



It was a glorious morning when I one day started 

 alone from Whitby upon a naturalizing expedition, 

 purposing on that occasion to make my way as far as 

 Scarborough before night. It was only thirteen miles, 

 I was told, and an excellent road all the way. Hammer 



