BENEVOLENT DESIGNS. 175 



It is also worthy of remark, that while the light 

 of living marine animals is commonly confined to a 

 certain portion or organ, the whole body shortly 

 after death becomes luminous, emitting a pale 

 uniform light. The luminous matter may now be 

 detached and diffused through water a fact familiar 

 in our larders, while there can be no such separation 

 of the living light. Not, as is commonly supposed, 

 that the luminous appearance of fish is a result of 

 putrefaction ; it commences long before this process, 

 and ceases when it is established. The design of 

 this arrangement is as obvious as that just mentioned: 

 the dead creature is still food ; by putrefaction it 

 would be wasted, and might be injurious; but it 

 becomes an object of attraction under this new 

 expedient, as it had ceased to be, in losing with its 

 vitality its former power of producing light. 



Such arrangements are not limited to marine 

 animals having eyes. These organs are now known 

 to exist in multitudes which were long supposed 

 to have no such power. The microscope has placed 

 the fact beyond all doubt. But even where they 

 are assuredly wanting, as in the medusae and the 

 beroes, there is a perfect sense of a luminous object 

 when present : they will pursue a moving candle 

 with the accuracy of a fish, and eagerly crowd 

 round the single opening for the admission of light 

 which has been left in a darkened vessel. 



