ITALY. LETTER V. ' 6~J 



numerous, but felect; confiding of the beft Au- 

 thors of Italy, and the bed Editions of thofe 

 which concern Natural Hiftory, Poetry, and the 

 finer Arts. 



I faw too the old Dr. Vianelli, who is known 

 by his treatife de Nottiluca marina : a worm, which 

 caufes the nocturnal lighting of the fea. This 

 lighting is not obferved in every feafon ; but be- 

 fides, as I have been told, is common in the chan- 

 nels near Cbioyzd^ in Venice, and in the fea near 

 Naples *. During 



* I have had an opportunity to obferve this lighting of the 

 North-fea in the months of July and Augufr, but conftantly 

 with South-winds and clear fultry calm weather. During 

 the day we faw many thoufr.nds of Mcdufts, mollufca, and crabs? 

 floating near the fmooth furface of the fea. Accidentally filh- 

 ing in a depth of twenty or thirty fathoms, we catched fo 

 many of them, that we could not clear the net of their 

 gelatinous fubftance. Therefore it was hanged to dry in the 

 riggings, and we found the folloiving night it was all on fire. 

 This was owing to the phofphorent nature of thefe fingular ani- 

 mals, and pretty well explained to me the light of the fea; which, 

 in that and feveral other nights, under the fame conftitution 

 of the weather, was uncommonly flrong. The water at the head, 

 and all along the (hip, was in a continual blaze; and in the midib 

 of the broken and fkimming billows, I difcovered fair mining 

 fparks, that continued to floating for a long while,and appeared 

 fo even under the furface of the water. The keel-water feemed 

 to be a fiery fmoke rifing from under the (hip. It traced the 

 courfe of the Jhip, and was fo luminous, that it fpread even a 

 jglare of light in the cabin, when candles were put out. Every 

 F i broken 



