UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 133 



which I cannot find mentioned in any of the 

 books we have with us ; and one species, my 

 companion says, has very rarely been observed 

 in the British seas. These animals belong to a 

 gregarious family, and often adhere together, but 

 in a manner that is peculiar to each species. In 

 this new species they are linked together end- 

 ways, so that the whole forms a chain. They 

 move forwards by swallowing, and suddenly emit- 

 ting the water ; and it is amusing to observe the 

 whole chain of many feet in length, swimming 

 with an undulating motion, resembling that of a 

 serpent. They are quite transparent, and the 

 adhesion is so slight, that the least force sepa- 

 rates them. We put some in a bucket of water, 

 but they did not like the confinement, and died 

 in half an hour. 



" That interesting phenomenon luminous 

 sea-water, is seen here in autumn in great bril- 

 liancy. It certainly does not proceed from any 

 ingredient of the water itself, but from the phos- 

 phorescent property of living animals ; and from 

 what I can learn, there are a great many other 

 tribes that possess this power of giving light, be- 

 sides those described in Dr. Macartney's inge- 

 nious paper, which you and I read together. I 

 am informed, that Sir Charles Giesecke disco- 

 vered several new species on the coast of Green- 

 land, which were not only luminous when alive, 

 but retained this property even when broken to 



