46 ON LDI^INOUS AfifiiALi, 



sion of a luminous fluid upon the surface of the animal^ 

 more particularly about the heud ; which may be received 

 upon the hand, or other bodies brought into contact with 

 the insect at the moment; and these exhibit a phosphoric 

 light for a few seconds afterward. This fluid, however, I 

 never could discover in the form of moisture, even upon the 

 clearest glass, although examined immediately with the most 

 scrupulous attention by u lens: it must therefore be ex- 

 tremely attenuated, 

 nereis nocti- The same appearance has been observed during the illu- 



>"c*> mination of the nereis noctiluca by Fougeroux de Bonda- 



roy ♦. 

 and others,. The animal discovered by Riville shed a blue liquor, 



which illuminated the water for a distance of two or three 

 lines f. 



Spallanzani relates, that the medusa, which he examined, 

 connnunicated the property of shining to water, milk, and 

 other fluids, on being rubbed or squeezed in them J. 

 This fluid par- The luminous fluid is in some instances confined to par- 

 tial, or general, tjcular parts of the body, and in others is diff^used through- 

 out the whole substance of the animal. 



In the scolopendra electrica, it appears to reside imme- 

 diately under the integuments. In the lynceus discovered 

 by Riville it is contained in the ovary. If I may judge 

 from my own observations, every part of the body of the 

 medusa is furnished witlj this fluid, as there is no part I 

 have not seen illuminated under diflerent circumstances; 

 but Spallanzani affirms, that it is only found in the large 

 tentacula, the edges of the umbella, and the purse, or cen- 

 tral mass; which he proved, he says, by detaching these 

 parts successively, wlien they shone vividly, while the rest 

 of the body neither gave light, nor communicated any lu- 

 minous appearance to water §. 

 Seapen. Spallanzani discovered a mucous luminous fluid in the 



plumule of the pennatulu phosphorea||. 



• , * M6m. de TAcad. des Sc 1767. 



f Mem. Etrang. dc I'Acad. des Sc. Tor.'.. Hi. 



X Sj>aUanzani*3 Travels in the Two Sicilies, Vol. iv. 



^ Memoria sopra le nieduse fosfoiiche, Mem, della Sdc, Ital.Tomo^ 



P Mem. della Soc. ital. Tome ji. 



The 



