126 THE HAUNTS OF LIFE 



just the reflection of scant gleams of light and 

 is never seen in total darkness when animal 

 light is best seen there is something quite 

 useful in the comparison, for the luminous 

 organs have often reflectors not very different 

 from the reflector in the back of the cat's eye. 



In any case, " animal light" is common in 

 the deep sea, both in fixed and wandering 

 creatures. The light-giving stuff or secretion, 

 which remains luminescent after the animal is 

 dead, often oozes out on the general surface, 

 as in sea-pens, and may trail into the water. 

 In its finer forms, in fishes and crustaceans, it 

 shines out from complicated lanterns, the special 

 luminous organs. 



The Marquis de Folin, who was with one of 

 the great French expeditions, describes the 

 surprise and delight of the naturalists on board 

 the exploring vessel when they first saw a 

 deep-sea dredge brought up in darkness. The 

 dredge contained many coral animals, shrub- 

 like in form, which threw off " flashes of light, 

 beside which the twenty torches used for 

 working by were pale." Some of the corals 

 were carried into the laboratory, where the 

 lights were put out. " There was a moment 

 of magic, the most marvellous spectacle that 



