44 THE NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW. 



property of swelling to an immense size in their bodies." The wliole 

 of this account is so strange, that we confess we should have liked 

 a few more details, especially when we are told that the history of 

 this curious substance is gi\'en in the Medical Journal of Brussels 

 for 1855. 



The chapter on the phosphorescence of the sea is perhaps the 

 worst in the book. Instead of giving ample details of this subject, 

 the author contents himself with giving a most meagre and imperfect 

 list of such marine animals as are known to be luminous ; and we 

 have the history of the Noctiluca miliaris repeated twice. [Figures of 

 some of the animals are given — one of Fyrosoma atlanticum, just one 

 inch and a quarter long, and scarcely one quarter of an inch wide is 

 said to represent " the entire animal magnified !" while a representa- 

 tion of two or three of the zooids — about the size of life, and very badly 

 represented — is said to be *' the phosphorescent surface of the body, 

 magnified about 300 diameters." We recollect not long since hearing 

 a popular lecturer on Zoology confounding N'octiht.ca, Fyrosoma, and 

 Salpa together ; the creature described was made up of thousands of 

 N^octiluccd ; it had i:he shape and form of Pyrosonia, and the strange de- 

 velopment of Saljm. We wondered, at the time, where he could have 

 got the idea, not believing it possible it could have been hazarded 

 on chance. We now think that Dr. Phipson is, perhaps, to blame 

 for the lecturer's errors ; because, while talking of the Noctiluca 

 miliaris, he proceeds to allude to and figures Pyrosoma, and says 

 " it belongs to the tribe of Tnnicata ; each individual resembles a 

 minute cylinder of glowing phosphorus. Sometimes they are seen 

 adhering together in such prodigious numbers, that the ocean ap- 

 pears as if covered with an enormous layer of molten lava." Then 

 comes a brief account of Salpa cristata, wherein it is stated that 

 they also swim adhering together in vast numbers, with a figure of 

 Salpa cristata, " an isolated individual," and of five Salp^e " united 

 as they swim." Phosphoric Infusoria are referred to, and bad figures 

 oi Peridinicoafusca (?) and Frorocentrtim micans are given. Appended 

 to the description of this latter is a foot-note, which, as it appears to 

 show that the author does know something about these creatures he 

 writes of, we quote : " It is exceedingly probable that this animalcule 

 will be placed among the Ehizopodes ; and the same remark may 

 apply to many now called Infusoria. In this microscopic class of 

 animals, as it undergoes fresh investigations, the species are con- 

 tinually being removed and placed in higher genera, families, or 



