46 THE ELEMENTS 



"There is a remarkable shell-fish 

 called Pholes, which forms for itself 

 holes in different kinds of stone. 

 This fish illuminates the mouth of the 

 person who eats it ; and it is remark- 

 ed, that contrary to the nature of other 

 fish, which give light when they tend 

 to putrescence, this is more luminous 

 the fresher it is ; and when dried, its 

 light will revive on being moistened 

 either with salt water or fresh ; brandy 

 however immediately extingruishes it/' 

 Priestly s Ojytics, page 507. 



It is to be regretted, that the expe- 

 riments made by chemists on those 

 animals, which have a luminous ap- 

 pearance in the dark, have not been 

 sufficiently decisive, to enable us 

 to state the true cause of it ; but it 

 undoubtedly proceeds from phospho- 

 rus, which is abundant in all animal 

 bodies. 



In Turton's Linne twelve species 

 are described ; five have been found 

 to inhabit the British coasts. 



