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CHAPTER III. 

 PHOSPHOKESCENCE OF THE EAETHWOEM. 



IN the year 1840 M. Forester wrote to the Aca- 

 demy of Sciences at Paris, stating that during a 

 dark rainy night he had seen a great number of 

 Xiumbrics, or earthworms, shining with a white 

 phosphoric light, which he compared to that of 

 iron heated to a white heat. 



When this letter was communicated to the Aca- 

 demy, the distinguished naturalist M. Audouin 

 rose and said, that to his knowledge no authen- 

 tic case of phosphorescence in earthworms had 

 ever been made known, but that he could cite 

 numerous cases where these worms had been mis- 

 taken for Scolopendra, some species of which are 

 known to be phosphorescent. 



Upon this occasion M. Dumeril, lately one of 

 the greatest ornaments of the present Institute 

 of France, said that he happened to know of two 

 very authentic observations, emanating from two 

 eminent naturalists, concerning the emission of 



