236 Miscellaneous, 



the bottom of the vessel. The other lived more than two months 

 longer, and even bore a voyage to Bath in a closed phial of sea- water, 

 and remained active and vigorous during the space of three weeks, 

 when it likewise shrunk, died and disappeared like the former, but 

 without the previous eversion. As a species it may perhaps be thus 

 characterized : Cyancea coccinea, minute, campanulate, translucent, 

 with four faint rays. In the centre a red ball with four white arms 

 forming a cross ; at the margin of the disc numerous tentacula, being 

 sometimes as long as the disc, at others shortened, as if knotted up 

 to the margin of the disc." 



See PL II. fig. 1, natural size, as it appeared in sea-water; fig. 2. 

 magnified, with tentacula expanded ; fig. 3. ditto, with tentacula con- 

 tracted. 



" During our stay at Tenby the sea w^as often very luminous ; and 

 whenever this happened, the sea- water brought in daily for some Ac- 

 tiniae and other marine animals which I kept alive in basins, exhi- 

 bited the phsenomenon when in motion, but never while at rest. Even 

 breathing upon it when viewing the animals which it contained was 

 sufiicient to excite its luminous appearance. Being anxious to ascer- 

 tain the cause of the luminosity, I night after night examined care- 

 fully the water, taking up sometimes what seemed to be sparks of 

 fire in a spoon or glass, without discovering anything more than 

 small bubbles, which instantly burst and vanished. Could these be 

 the Medusa scintillans of Macartney, * Phil. Trans.' vol. c. } I had no 

 opportunity of examining them with glasses of high power. The 

 weather was hottest at the time when the sea was most luminous, 

 and it was the opinion of persons on the spot who made use of the 

 water, that it was Salter when luminous than at other times. Dr. 

 Macartney, in his ' Observations upon Luminous Animals,' in the 

 * Phil. Trans.,* mentions Pholas Dactylus amongst others as exhibit- 

 ing the phsenomenon ; but that animal never appeared luminous to 

 me, although I kept it alive and in a vigorous state many weeks. 

 In the course of my observations I saw no reason to attribute the 

 luminosity of the sea to any animal." 



I am. Sir, your most obedient servant, 



J. F. Davis, M.D., F.L.S. 



MR F. M. JENNINGS ON EELS KILLED BY FKOST, IN A LETTER TO 

 W. THOMPSON, ESQ. 



Cork, March 18th, 1841. 

 Dear Sir, — I send you the following account of a phaenomenon 

 which took place in the river Lee, about six miles below Cork, in 

 some respects similar to that which occurred in the river Lagan 

 (see p. 75 of the present volume). I much regret not having heard 

 of the circumstance until nearly a month after it had occurred, 

 and then I was not able to glean any information except from the 

 boatmen in the vicinity ; the remembrance was however fresh in the 

 minds of all, and the testimony of those I consulted agreeing in 

 every particular, I am confident that the following account must 

 be true. 



