ISQ Mr C. G. Ehrenberg's Observations on the 



of the mode of explanation already known. In 1700, Romberg 

 observed a shower of blood, that excited universal attention, and 

 which he could the more satisfactorily show to be produced by 

 the first flying forth, and the casting of bees, the more evidently 

 that the phenomenon in the place around the bee-hives themselves 

 was remarkably striking. 



In 1711, the Rev. Mr Hildebrandt found insects in red rain- 

 water, at Orsioe, in Sweden. 



In 1716, Dr Westphal, of Delitzch, observed red spots on the 

 leaves of plants at Grafenhainchen, not far from Delitzch and 

 Wittenberg. He was not inclined to consider them the produc- 

 tion of insects, *uut real red dew, coloured by a combination of 

 sulphur. 



The missionary Gonsag, by observation in 1746, brought 

 forward a new method of explaining the appearance of red wa- 

 ter, which Klaproth introduced, but seems to have misunder- 

 stood it. According to the Spanish original, Gonsag saw at 

 California, hot springs in the sea, which were visible at the ebb 

 of the tide, but covered at full flood by the sea. During full 

 tide, the sea at that place appeared, to the extent of two miles 

 and a half, of a bluish-red colour. Here there was evidently 

 a chemical operation of the sea-water mingling with the spring- 

 water. 



Linnaeus also observed, that water, with a red colour like 

 blood, may be produced by an immense increase of small red 

 aquatic animals, which he, with Swammerdam, takes to be the 

 Monoculus pulex. Agardh, however, has recently dissented 

 from this opinion, believing the animal to be the Cyclops qua- 

 dricornis, which is a similar, but yet a very diffbrent animal, 

 and which he himself observed in Sweden, under similar cir- 

 cumstances ; while the Monoculus pulex is never of a lively red 

 colour. Schoeffer, in his Treatise on the Water-flea (s. 53), 

 takes it for the Monoculus pulex ; therefore both animals must 

 be referred to, as it is not to be supposed that a number of na- 

 turalists, of close observation, should have committed the same 

 error. I have never myself, indeed, had an opportunity of seeing 

 the Monoculus (Daphnia) pulex of a lively red colour, though 

 I have yearly observed blood-red marsh-water coloured by the 

 Cyclops.— Agardh, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. xii. 2, p. 738. 



