ON LUMINOUS ANIMALSr 41 



VI. 



Observations upon Luminous Animals. By J. Macartney, 

 Esq» Communicated by Everard Home, Esq. F, R, S» 



/'Concluded from vol. XXVII, p. 350.; 



JL HE remarkable property of emitting light during life Only the 4 last 

 is only met with among animals of the four last classes of mairemU*"** 

 luodern naturalists, viz. moU^sca, insects, worms, and light while li- 

 zoophytes. ^'"^' 



The mollusca and worms contain each but a single Only 2 lumi- 

 luminous species; the pholus dacfylus in the one, and the "^"^j*^^"^*^ 

 nereis noctituca in the other. Sd. 



Some species yield light in the eight following genera of Genera of in- 

 insccts; elater^ lampyris, fulgora, pausus, scolopendra^ can- fng^umim)uii 

 rer, lynceus*, and limulus. The luminous species of the species, 

 genera lampyris and fulgora are more numerous than is ge- , 

 nerally supposed, if we may jndge from the appearance 

 of luminous organs to be seen in dried specimens. 



Among zoophytes we find, that the genera wec^w^a, beroe^^ Genera of 

 and pcwwafw/a, contain species which afford light. zoophytes. 



The only animals, which appear to possess a distinct or- Animals with 

 ganization for the production of light, are the luminous organs fur pro- 



• p 1 • I ^ !• 1 J ducing light. 



species of lampyris, elater, iiugora, and pausus. 



The light of the lampyrides is known to proceed from Organ in tlie. 

 some of the last rings of the abdomen, which, when not fir^fl'cs. 

 illuminated, are of a pale yellow colour. Upon the inter- a peculiar 

 nal surface of these rings there is spread a layer of a pecu- siihsiance, 

 liar soft yellow substance, which has been compared to 

 paste; but by examination with a lens I found it to be 

 orsanized like the common interstitial substance of the 

 insect's body, except that it is of a closer texture, and a 



* The animal discovered by^iville off the coast of Malabnr, in 1755, 

 is certainly a tefiaceous insect, and appears to belong to the genus lynceus 

 of MuUer, , 



t The luminous zoophite, for which Peron has instituted the new ge- 

 nus pyrosoma, appears to me to be a beroe, and only worthy of a speci- 

 nc distinction. 



paler 



