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198 
Fulgora pyrrhorhyncus 
candelaria 
Pyralis minor 
Acheta gryllotalpa? 
Myniapopa 
Scolopendra electrica 
phosphorea 
morsitans 
Julus ————? 
ANNELIDA 
Nereis phosphorans 
noctiluca 
cirrigera 
mucronata 
Planaria retusa 
EcnuinopERMATA 
Asterias —————? 
Ophiura telactes 
hosphorea 
Acactepuz. Almostall the species of Medusa, 
Beroe, Physalia, Rhizophora, Stephanomia, 
and Physophora. 
ZooPpuyta 
Pennatula phosphorea 
grisea 
rubra 
argentia 
Inrusorta. Many species belonging to the 
pe Cercaria, Volvox, Vibrio, Trichoda, 
incophea. 
With regard to fishes, the statements of 
naturalists are so contradictory that we still 
hesitate to admit any of them on the list of 
truly luminous animals. The sharks, more fre- 
quently than other fishes, are reported as lumi- 
nous. The light given out by them is said to 
roceed from their abdominal surface. When 
arge shoals of fishes are swimming rapidly, 
flashes of light, broad and deep, are sometimes 
seen about them and are supposed to be 
emitted by the fishes themselves. ese appear 
‘occasionally at very great depths. They have 
been traced in the British seas to shoals of 
herrings and the coal-fish ; and Dr. M‘Culloch 
enumerates also the pollack, the pilchard, the 
sardine, the whiting, the mackarel, and the gar, 
as being sometimes accompanied by these 
lights.* 
The common earth-worm is not included in 
the above list, although several observers have 
reported it as luminous, because the fact of its 
being so is not sufficiently determined. It is 
said to give out light only during the period of 
propagation. 
me voyagers, as Peron, have stated that they 
have seen sertularia, gorgonie, alcyonia, and 
sponges gre out light immediately after being 
redged from the bottom of the sea ; but we sus- 
pect that in most of these instances the light 
proceeded not from the zoophytes, but from 
some light-giving annelids itical upon them. 
This is frequently met with in the British seas, 
II. Characters and properties of animal light. 
—lIt is only in its most obvious qualities that 
animal light has hitherto been the object of 
scientific research. In colour and intensity it 
varies very much at different times in the same 
animal, and still more in different animals. 
_ * Edin. Encycl. art. Phosphorescence. 
ANIMAL LUMINOUSNESS. 
With regard to colour the following variet 
occur. In pholas dactylus the light is bluis 
white ; in lampyris noctiluca it is greenish 4 
a shade of blue ; in /. italica, bright blue; | 
Elater noctilucus, brilliant green, with 
“« the most beautiful golden blue ;” in 
pyrrhorynchus, deep purple and se 
marine animals generally it is white with var 
shades of blue. Doubtless these differen 
depend chiefly upon the various colours of 
integuments through which the light is seen. 
In lampyris italica, there are alternate | 
sions and extinctions of the light, wh 
place with some degree of regularity 
to be synchronous with the pulses of | 
culating current, visible in the wing-cases 
this beetle.* - 
The fire-fly (Elater) shews two kind: 
light ; one constant, like that of the glow-we 
but more feeble; the other a vivid white ] 
suddenly intermitted. Its illuminating po 
seems to be greater than that possessed by 
other animal ; the light emitted from its t 
thoracic tubercles is so great that the smal 
— may be read with it; and in the W 
ndies, (particularly in St. Domingo, wh 
they are abundant,) the natives use ther 7 
stead of candles in their houses. They alse 
them to their feet and heads in trave ing 
night to give light to their path through 
forest. The intermitting of the light in” 
insect is such as to give an observer the ides 
a membranous veil being suddenly drawn 
the source of light, and then as suddenly w 
drawn. -@ 
In a_ species of cancer seen by Smith 
the Gulf of Guinea, the light (which seemed 
be emitted by the brain) was of a deep 
colour when the animal was at rest; but wi 
it moved, bright coruscations of silve' de 
were darted from it in all directions. The lis 
of some centipedes inhabiting the islands 
the Pacific is of a beautiful emerald-g 
colour. It is connected with a mucous ma 
covering the animal, which may be rubbed 
by the fingers, and communicates to then 
smell not unlike that of muriatic acid. __ 
Sometimes the light proceeding from the. 
is so white and dull as to give effect « 
sea of milk. This is frequently seen in 
Gulf of Guinea, and seems to be caused so 
times by the presence of numerous Salpa 
Scyllari, at other times by the admixture o 
debris of fishes and other marine animals 
cently dead. a 
An extraordinary series of phenomena — 
nected with a particular display of the © 
nousness of the sea, is reported by Mr. E 
derson as having occurred in the Atlat 
(lat. 2° long. 21° 20’ W.) on the 5th Ma 
1821. About 9 pe. the sea appeared 
ally luminous. Every person who kept 
fixed upon it for but a short time was it 
ately affected with giddiness, headache, 
the eyeballs, and slight sickness. u 
these symptoms varied in intensity amongst 
hed 
‘ 
* A species of lampyris lately found in New 
land is said also to china rhythmical pulses, | 
vol, ii. p. 245. : 
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