458 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Moquin-Taudon has recorded a case of the phosjjhorescence of earth- 

 worms, which lie noticed on a gavden-walk at Toulouse. The worms 

 were about an inch and a half in length, and looked like little rods of 

 white-hot iron. 



It would be out of place in the pages of this journal to discuss the 

 merits of theories which have been advanced to account for animal 

 phosphorescence. As we have already said, Science has not pro- 

 nounced any final decision on the matter. Some philosophers look 

 upon the light as the result of the slow combustion of some combina- 

 tion of phosphorus contained in the animal secretions ; others believe 

 it to be a direct manifestation of vital force, acting through special 

 organs, much in the way that electricity is produced in the torpedo 

 or gymnotus. No doubt the problem will ultimately be solved as we 

 advance in the study of comparative anatomy, and, in the mean time, 

 many experiments have been made, in the hope of assisting the solu- 

 tion. It has been found that the luminous matter will communicate 

 its peculiar property to liquids or solids with which it may come in 

 contact. The light is extinguished by a cold or boiling temperature, 

 or by strong stimulants ; it also disappears in vacuo^ but becomes visi- 

 ble again on the admission of the air ; and it is increased by moderate 

 heat, and by gentle stimulants. In respect to the glow-worm, the two 

 smaller sacs of yellow matter which we described possess the curious 

 property of shining uninterruptedly for several hours, after they have 

 been removed from the living body, the light from other parts being 

 extinguished immediately under similar circumstances. A simple 

 galvanic current passed through water containing NoctiluccB pro- 

 duced no effect ; but an electro-magoetic current, on the other hand, 

 caused, after a short interval, a continuous and steady glow to issue 

 from the water. The light disappeared at the end of a quarter of an 

 hour, and could not be reproduced, the animalcules being evidently 

 dead. Chambers's Journal. 



THE GLACIERS OF NORWAY. 



By Peof. HENKY M. BAIED. 



A VISIT to Switzerland has of late become so easy and frequent 

 an undertaking, that the glaciers around Mont Blanc and the 

 Jungfrau have lost much of their romance and all their novelty. 

 Every tourist climbs the Montanvert to enjoy the sensation of walk- 

 ing over the Mer-de-glace in midsummer, and creeps under the Rasen- 

 laui to admire the deep-blue color of its icy vault. There is, how- 

 ever, another country which, in the number and beauty of its glaciers, 

 is a formidable rival of Switzerland ; but, lying as it does, out of the 



