no LEWIS: LONGPORT IN SEPTEMBER. 



emitted their splendid white light to the admiration of all 

 beholders. 



On the morning of the 29th of September the ocean beach 

 was again thickly strewn with masses of jelly, which proved 

 on examination to be what for convenience, and until better 

 informed, I shall continue to designate as Bolina vitrea, the 

 same species found on first arrival. After keeping them in 

 the large, glass vessel, and watching them during the day, I 

 took a few in a tumbler to my chamber, and every time I 

 wakened during the night and stirred the water, it became 

 glowing with phosphorescence. 



From the intense light emitted by the few we had in our 

 possession, it is easy to imagine the effect of the tossing 

 waves filled with swarms of these tiny creatures. They do, 

 in fact, cause long lines of light on the breakers, and on the 

 beach whenever the sand is scraped by a passing foot, so as to 

 leave a pathway of illumination. Many other inhabitants of 

 the sea are phosphorescent, but of these we do not speak at 

 present. Each kind has its own season, and for Ctenophora 

 the season of observation was the happy month of September. 



From what has been said, it is plain that both northern 

 and southern forms meet at Longport, especially after the 

 mingling of northern and southern currents in great storms. 

 It is also clear that at such seasons nuicli may be lost to 

 natural history for want of trained observers. The most 

 unexpected results might reward organized effort on the part 

 of scientists along the whole coast of America, both Atlantic 

 and Pacific, at different seasons of the vear. 



