i;o TOILERS IN THE SEA. 



of which to be appreciated must be seen, and one 

 which it has been the lot of but few persons as yet 

 to have looked upon. Entangled among the coral- 

 lines were also numerous minute luminous Annelids, 

 which added their tiny fires to the general exhibi- 

 tion." 1 It is unnecessary to add confirmation of what 

 is now acknowledged as a fact, but the Rev. D. 

 Landsborough may be quoted for an experience 

 which befel him nearly fifty years since. " I brought 

 from the shore in a pocket vasculum, or tin box, 

 some zoophytes attached to sea-weeds, and laid the 

 vasculum on the lobby table, till I should have leisure 

 to examine them. When night came I put my hand 

 into the vasculum to remove some of the zoophytes 

 for inspection, and, on moving them, I found, to my 

 surprise and delight, that they began to sparkle. 

 Remembering what I had read, as I took them up I 

 gave them a hearty shake, and they instantly became 

 quite brilliant, like handfuls of little stars, or sparkling 

 diamonds. To ascertain what were the zoophytes 

 that emitted this phosphorescence, it was necessary 

 to take them up singly by candle-light, and after- 

 wards to make the experiment in the dark. One 

 (Obelia geniculatd] was very luminous, every cell for 

 a few moments becoming a star ; and as each polype 



1 Hassall, in "Annals of Natural History," first series, 

 vol. viii. p. 342 . 



