THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 257 



fully fcattered about, than any where between the coaft oF '"78. 



, - . , . March. 



California and Japan, in or near that latitude. v. -^- ._/ 



During a calm, on the morning of the 2d, fome parts of Monday 2. 

 the feafeemed covered with a kind of flime ; and fome fraall 

 fea animals were fwimming about. The mofl confpicuous 

 of which, were of the gelatinous, or mediifa kind, almoft 

 globular ; and another fort fmuller, that had a white, or 

 fliining appearance, and were very numerous. Some of 

 thefe laft were taken up, and put into a glafs cup, with fome 

 fait water, in which they appeared like fmall fcalcs, or bits 

 of filver, when at reft, in a prone fituation. When they be- 

 gan to fwim about, which they did, with equal eafe, upon 

 their back, fides, or belly, they emitted the brighteft co- 

 lours of the mofl precious gems, according to their pofition 

 with refpedt to the light. Sometimes they appeared quite 

 pellucid, at other times affuming various tints of blue, 

 from a pale fapphirine, to a deep violet colour ; which were 

 frequently mixed with a ruby, or opaline rednefs ; and 

 glowed with a flrength fufficient to illuminate the vefTel 

 and water. Thefe colours appeared moft vivid, when the 

 glafs was held to a ftrong light; and moftly vanifhed, on the 

 fubfiding of the an,imals to the bottom, when they had a 

 brownifh caft. But, with candle light, the colour was, 

 chiefly, a beautiful, pale green, tinged with a burnifhed 

 glofs ; and, in the dark, it had a faint appearance of glow- 

 ing fire. They proved to be a new fpecies of onifais, and, 

 from their properties, were, by Mr. Anderfon (to whom we 

 owe this account of them), called omfcns fuJgens \ being, pro- 

 bably, an animal which has a fliare in producing fome forts 

 of that lucid appearance, often obferved near fliips at fea, 

 in the night. On the fame day, two large birds fettled on 

 ihe water, near the fhip. One of thefe was the procelhiria 



Vol. II. LI maxima 



