THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



JANUARY, 1832, 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. RemarJes on the Luminosity of the Sea By J. E. Bowman, 



Esq. F.L.S, 



The valuable observations of Mr. Westwood on the lumi- 

 nosity of the sea (Vol. IV. p. 505.), induce me to think it 

 worth while to place on record an extract from my private 

 journal, which illustrates the view he has taken, and may pos- 

 sibly assist in establishing at least one cause of this well known 

 and beautiful phenomenon. It is as follows : — " On treading 

 upon a tuft of tang [sea-weed] in our way down to the boat, it 

 •shot out in every direction interrupted rays of phosphoric light, 

 like a star of artificial firework. This beautiful effect we repeat- 

 edly produced by stamping on various tufts to force out the 

 water ; and afterwards, while sitting in the boat, waiting for the 

 ferryman, we amused ourselves by dabbling our hands and sticks 

 in the water, which, when agitated, was more highly illumi- 

 nated than I had ever before observed it. I was soon awai-e 

 that the luminous matter /«?/ ?ij)on the surface: for, after a little 

 agitation and dispersion of the surface water from around my 

 fingers, the effect was much diminished ; and, when I ceased 

 disturbing it, the light entirely disappeared. The boat swam, 

 as it were, in a sea of liquid fire, the ripple round its sides 

 and the dash of the oars being sometimes brilliant beyond 

 conception, and of a bluish phosphorescent light. It would 

 seem that the luminous matter was not equally diffused over 

 the strait : for it varied much in intensity in different parts of 

 the passage; and, as we approached the Caernarvonshire 

 shore, the contact of the oars produced very little light." 

 Vol. V. — No. 23. b 



