376 INTESTINAL WORMS. 



nous if it touch but his hand or clothes. Putrescency, though not 

 putrefaction, is necessary for the discharge of the light possessed by 

 phosphorescent fishes ; in the phloas, on the contrary, the light is 

 rendered brighter in proportion to the freshness of the animal. 

 The moisture of salt or fresh water revives it ; brandy suddenly ex- 

 tinguishes it ; vinegar not quite so soon. It is probable that this 

 worm often contributes to the luminous appearance of the sea. 



Various experiments have been made to render the light or lumi- 

 nous matter secreted by the phloas permanent, but none have alto- 

 gether succeeded. Reaumur kneaded the juice into paste with flour, 

 aud found that the paste would give light when immersed in warm 

 water. But the best way to preserve the light, is to preserve the 

 worm, or fish, as it is usually called, in honey ; in which state, when- 

 ever taken out, and plunged in warm water, it will give a very bril- 

 liant light for a twelvemonth afterwards. Milk, however, appears 

 to be rendered more luminous by this phosphorous matter than any 

 other liquid ; a single phloas made seven ounces of milk so lumi- 

 nous, that the faces of persons in the dark could be seen and dis- 

 tinguished by it. 



There are twelve species of this curious animal ; three of which 

 are common to the seas of our own coas,t. 



[Pantologia. 



SECTION VI. 



Intestinal Worms* 



These are more properly called worms than any of the pre- 

 ceding. They are ordinally characterised as simple, naked animals, 

 without limbs of any kind : and derive their ordinal name from 

 inhabiting the bowels of the earth, water, or animals of various 

 kinds. Among the more common tribes we may mention the lum- 

 bricus or earth-worm, including the dew and the lug ; the hirudo 

 or leech j the limax or slug ; the ascaris, comprehending both the 

 thread and the long mud intestinal worm ; and the taenia or tape- 

 worm. Among the more curious are the furia, the gordius or hair- 

 worm, and the filaria, or Guinea-worm. 



