SIIIZOPOD.E. 41 



from New Holland to China, about half an hour after 

 sunset, the sea presented a milky appearance, the ship 

 seemed to be surrounded by ice covered with snow, 

 no bottom was discovered on this occasion with 70 fa- 

 thoms of line — a bucket of water being hauled up, and 

 examined in the dark, discovered a great number of 

 globular bodies, about the size of a pin's head, linked 

 together. The chains thus formed did not exceed three 

 inches in length and emitted a pale phosphoric light. 

 By introducing the hand into the water, several chains 

 of the luminous globules were raised — the globules, 

 were so transparent that they could not be perceived 

 when the hand was taken into the light — this ex- 

 traordinary appearance of the sea was visible for two 

 nights. As soon as the moon exerted her influence, the 

 sea changed to its natural dark colour, and exhibited 

 distinct glittering points as at other times." (F kilos. Trans. 

 1810, p. 269, 2/0.) 



Riville's description of this phenomenon is as follows. 

 " The surface of the sea gently agitated, was covered with 

 little stars, each wave which broke around the vessel 

 gave out a very lively light, and like in colour to that of a 

 cloth of silver electrified in the dark. The waves, which 

 seemed from time to time to be confounded one with 

 another, formed at the horizon a plain covered in ap- 

 pearance with snow, and the track of the vessel was of 

 a lively and luminous white, strewed with brilliant and 

 azure coloured points." This was in a voyage to India when 

 off the Malabar coast, in N. Lat 8" 47', and Long. E. 

 of Paris, 73« at 9 o'clock, P. M. on the 14th July, 1754. 

 (See Godcheu de Riville in 3Iem. de VAcad. des Sciences — 

 Savans Etrangers, torn, iii, p. 267- Observations on two 

 Entomostraca of which he gives the figures.) Latreille 

 thinks the first of these must be a species of Lynccus, 

 but as no species of that Genus has been discovered out 

 of fresh water, this is to be doubted -, it may be satis- 



