Mr Scouler's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 199 



the vicinity of the line. On the evening of the 3d Septem- 

 ber, during one of these squalls, the sea became so uncom- 

 monly luminous as to attract even the attention of the sailors ; 

 and on bringing up a bucket of water, we found it contained 

 some beautiful specimens of the Pyrosoma atlanticum of Pe- 

 ron. It was probably from the phosphorescence of this animal 

 that the sea acquired its uncommon brilliancy. This animal, 

 or rather aggregation of animals, is about two inches long, and 

 as thick as the ringer, somewhat cylindrical and diaphanous. 

 On its surface are numerous scattered tubercles ; at one ex- 

 tremity is a circular orifice, which opens into a central cavity ; 

 the other extremity has a globular form, and has no vestige 

 of an aperture. The central cavity extends through the body. 

 On its surface are little yellowish papillae which appear to 

 communicate with the external tubercles. At first sight the 

 Pyrosoma might be mistaken for a solitary individual of the 

 zoophyte class, but the researches of Cuvier prove that it is an 

 assemblage of smaller animals united organically together. This 

 animal we never found in any other part of the ocean, — a cir- 

 cumstance in accordance with the observations of Peron, who 

 remarks that these oceanic Mollusca and Zoophytes are by no 

 means scattered indiscriminately over the ocean, but generally 

 confined within definite geographical limits. See Peron, Voy- 

 ages, t. i. p. 488. For a figure of the Pyrosoma, see Plate 30, 

 Fig. 1 and 2 of the same work. 



On the 11th September we crossed the equator, but were 

 detained for some time among the variable winds and heavy 

 tropical showers. The sea-birds of the torrid zone, the tropi- 

 cal bird (Phaeton aethereus,) and the man-of-war-bird (Tachy- 

 petes aquilus,) were frequently to be seen, and seemed to be in 

 alliance with the Bonito, (Scomber Pelamis,) for maintaining 

 a perpetual war with the flying-fish. As we advanced to the 

 south, the Procellaria Capensis, a beautiful species of Petrel, 

 became very abundant, but though they greedily devour any 

 fatty substance we throw overboard, all our endeavours to pro- 

 cure one of them have as yet been unsuccessful. 



25th September. — The abundance of land-birds around us, 

 and the number of butterflies which fluttered among the rig- 

 ging, indicated the vicinity of land, and in the afternoon our 



