SHIZOPOD.E. 47 



hoop-net, which when it failed to procure mc a spetinicn, 

 brought up such a profusion of other marine animals alto- 

 gether invisible while in the sea, as to induce a continued 

 use of it on every favorable opportunity. The Sapphiritia 

 indicator^ which is the name I propose for this animal which 

 is so beautifully luminous by night, by day resembles the 

 finest Blue Sapphire in colour, with the opalescence of the 

 Moonstone or precious Opal, and although but one third of 

 an inch in length, this colour ( which is thence probably 

 a modified phosphorescence) pervades the surrounding ele- 

 ment so as to give the animal the appearance of being 

 round and of the size of a livre or rupee when seen from 

 the deck of a vessel, appearing larger in proportion to its 

 distance below the surface. When turned upon its baclt, 

 PI. 8. f. 2, c, it presented an opaline hue, and the appear- 

 ance of numerous radii or members from each side of the 

 segments which compose its body^ together with a trifid 

 colourless process f. 2. b. c. x occasionally projected by 

 the animal at the sides of the corselet j these various 

 members assumed at times a rapid movement backwards 

 and forwards, but as the weather was dark, coarse and 

 unfavorable to minute investigation, I could not succeed 

 in developing the structure of these parts at the moment ; 

 but by placing several of the animals in the slides attached 

 to my IVIicroscope hoped to be able to do so at some more 

 favorable juncture, in this however I was disappointed 

 by the slides having been subsequently lost while the Instru- 

 ment was undergoing some alterations at an Opticians in 

 London. If this animal is elegant when viewed by reflected 

 light, it puts on a still more extraordinary appearance 

 when the light is transmitted through its body to the eye 

 of the observer ; by a direct light of this kind it resembled 

 the Fire-stone, with tints of yellow, and by a less vivid and 

 indirect illumination it assumed varied intermingled tints 

 of orange, rose, blue, and green of a metallic splendor, and 

 impossible to imitate. The body of the Sapphirina, whick 



