412 
PHL 
t h a 
Beccarius observed, that though this fish 
ceased to shine when it became putrid, yet 
that in its most putrid state it would shine, 
and make the water in which it was immersed 
luminous when it was agitated. Galeatius 
and Montius found that wine and vinegar ex- 
tinguished this light; that in common oil it 
continued some clays, but in rectified spirit of 
wine or urine, hardly a minute. 
In order to- observe in what manner this 
light was affected by different degrees of heat, 
they made use of a Reaumur’s thermometer, 
and found that water rendered luminou&by 
these fishes increased in light till the heat ar- 
rived to 45°, but that it then became suddenly 
extinct, and could not be revived again. 
In the experiments of Beccarius, a solution 
of sea-salt increased the light of the luminous 
water ; a solution of nitre did not increase it 
quite so much. Sal ammoniac diminished it 
a little, oil of tartar per deliquium nearly ex- 
tinguished it, and the acids entirely. This 
water poured upon fresh calcined gypsum, 
rock crystal, ceruse, or sugar, became more 
luminous, lie also tried the effects of it 
when poured upon various other substances, 
but there was nothing very remarkable in 
them. Afterwards, using luminous milk, he 
found that oil of vitriol extinguished the light, 
but that of tartar increased it. 
This gentleman had the curiosity to try how 
differently-coloured substances were affected 
by this kind of light; and having, for this 
purpose, clipped several ribbons in it, the 
white came out the brightest, next to this was 
the yellow, and then the green ; the other 
colours could hardly be perceived. It was 
not, however-, any particular colour, but only 
light, that was perceived in this case: lie 
then dipped boards painted with the different 
colours, and also glass tubes filled with sub- 
stances of different colours, in water rendered 
luminous by the fishes. In both these cases, 
the red was hardly visible, the yellow was the 
brightest, and the violet the dullest. But on 
the boards, the blue was nearly equal to the 
yellow, and the green more-languid ; whereas 
in the glasses, the blue was inferior to the 
green. 
Of all the liquors to which he put the 
phloades, milk, was rendered the most lu- 
minous. A single phloas made seven ounces 
of milk so luminous, that the faces of persons 
might be distinguished by it, and! it looked as 
if it was transparent. 
Air appeared to be necessary to this light ; 
for when Beccarius- put the luminous milk 
into glass tubes, no agitation woulch make it 
shine unless bubbles of air were mixed with-it. 
Also Montius and Galeatius found, that, in -an 
exhausted receiver, the phloas lost its light, 
but the water was sometimes made more lu- 
minous; which they ascribed to the rising of 
bubbles of air through it 
Beccarius, as well as Reaumur, had many 
schemes to render the light of these phloades 
permanent. For this purpose he kneaded 
the juice into a kind of paste with flour, and 
found that it would give light when it was im- 
mersed in warm- water; but it answered best 
to preserve the fish- in honey. In any oilier 
method of preservation, the property of be- 
coming lnminous would not continue longer 
than six months, but in honey it had lasted 
above a year ; and then it would, when plun- 
ged in warm water, give as much light as ever 
i|i bad-done.. 
P H Q 
PHLOMIS, the sage-tree, or Jerusalem 
sage, a genus of the gytnnospermia order, in 
the didynamia class of plants. The calyx is 
angular; corolla, upper lip incumbent, com- 
pressed, villose. There are 22'species, all of 
which have perennial roots, and of many the 
stalks also are perennial. The latter rise from 
two to five or six feet high, and are adorned 
with yellow, blue, or purple-flowers in whorls. 
They are all ornamental plants, and deserve 
a place in gardens or greenhouses. Some are 
sufficiently hardy to endure the ordinary 
winters in this climate, but they require a 
pretty warm situation. 
PHLOX, hjclinidea, or bastard lychnis, a 
genus of the monogynia order, in the pen- 
tandria class of plants. The corolla is salver- 
shaped ; filam. unequal ; stigma trilid ; calyx 
prismatical ; capsules three-celled, one-seed- 
ed. There are 12 species, all but one natives 
df North America. They have perennial 
roots, from which arise herbaceous stalks from 
nine inches to two feet in height, adorned 
with tubulated flowers of a white or purple 
colour. They are propagated by offsets, and 
will bear the winter in this country. They re- 
quire a moist rich soil, in which they thrive 
better and grow taller than in any other. 
PIIOCA, seal, a genus of quadrupeds of 
the order ferae. The generic character is, 
fore-teeth in; die upper jaw six, pointed, pa- 
rallel, tlce exterior larger ; in the lower jaw 
four, bluntish, parallel, distinct, equal; ca- 
nine teeth one on. each side in both jaws, large,, 
pointed; the upper ones distinct from the 
cutting-teeth, the lower from the grinders ; 
grinders five on each side above, six below, 
obtusely tricuspidated. This genus is ma- 
rine. It is, however, so constituted as to re- 
quire occasionally some intervals of repose, 
and even a considerable degree of continuance, 
on. dry land ; forsaking, at particular periods, 
the water, and congregating in vast mul- 
titudes on the shores, on floating ice, or on 
insulated rocks, especially during the season 
in which' the young are produced. See Am- 
phibious. There are about 19 species, the 
most noted of which are : 
1 . Phoca vitulina, the common sea!> is a 
native of the European seas, and is found 
about all the coasts of the northern hemi- 
sphere, and even extends as far as the oppo- 
site one, being seen in vast numbers about the 
southern polar regions. It also inhabits some 
fresh-water lakes, as that of Baikal, Oron, &c. 
and in these lakes it is considerably smaller, 
but much fatter, than when found in the seai 
The size of the seal varies, but its.general 
length seems to be from live to six. feet. The 
head is large and round, the neck small and 
short; on each side the mouth are situated 
several strong vibrissa: or whiskers, each hair 
being marked throughout its whole length 
with numerous alternate contractions and di- 
lations. 'Phe parts about the shoulders and 
breast’ are very thick; and thence the body 
tapers towards the tail. The eyes are large ;• 
there are no external’ ears; the tongue is 
bifid or cleft at the tip. The fogs are so verv 
•short as to be scarcely perceptible ; and the 
hinder ones are so placed as to be only of use 
to the animal in swimming, or but very little 
to assist it in walking, being situated at the 
extremity of the body, and close to each 
other. All the feet are strongly webbed, hut 
the hind ones much more- widely and con- 
spicuously than the fore. The toes on all the 
feet are five in number, and the claws are 
strong and sharp. The tail is very short. The 
whole animal is covered with short thick-set 
hair. In colour the seal varies considerably, 
being sometimes grey, sometimes brown or 
blackish, and sometimes- variously patched or 
spotted with white or yellowish. When these 
animals collect together in great numbers on 
the shore, they diffuse a very strong and dis- 
agreeable smell. 
Seals may often be observed sleeping on the 
tops of rocks, near the coast; but when ap- 
proached they suddenly precipitate them- 
selves into the water. Sometimes, however, 
their sleep is very profound, and it is even 
affirmed by some that the seal sleeps more 
profoundly than most other quadrupeds. The 
seal is possessed of a considerable degree of 
intelligence, and may be tamed,. so as to be- 
come perfectly familiar with those to whose 
care it is committed, and even to exhibit se- 
veral tricks and gesticulations. Of this we 
have numerous- examples. The female seals- 
produce their young in the winter seasoiq.and. 
seldom bring more than two at a birth. It is- 
said that they suckle the young for about the 
space of a fortnight on the spot where they, 
were born, after which they take them out to 
sea, and instruct them in swimming and 
seeking for their food, which consists not only, 
of fish, but of sea-weeds, &c. See. When the 
young are fatigued, the parent is said to carry, 
them on its back. ’The seal is supposed to be 
a long-lived animal, and B niton is even in- 
clined to-suppose that it may attain to the age 
of a hundred years. The voice of a full- 
grown seal is a hoarse kind of sound, not un- 
like the barking of a dog: that of the young 
resembles the mewing of a kitten. They have, 
however, like most other quadrupeds, va- 
rious inflections of voice, according to the 
passions with- which they, are inspired. They 
are said to delight in thunder-storms, and at- 
such periods to sit on the rocks and contem- 
plate with seeming delight the convulsions of 
the elements ; in this respect differing widely 
from the terrestrial quadrupeds, which are ex- 
tremely, terrified at such times. Seats are ge- 
nerally very fat, and are hunted in the north- 
ern regions- for the sake of their oil, which 
forms a great article of commerce : their skins 
also are much used for various (economical. 
purposes. - See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 333. 
2. Phoca ursina, ursine seal. This is one 
of the larger seals, growing to the length of 
eight feet, and weighing eight hundred pounds. 
The female falls far short of the size and 
weight of the male. The length of the fore 
legs is about twenty-four inches, and they are 
less immersed in the body than those of other- 
seals; the feet are formed with tees, but are 
covered with a naked skin, and have merely 
the rudiments of nails, giving them the ap- 
pearance of a turtle’s fin ; the hind legs are 
twenty-two inches long, and are fixed to the 
body behind, but are capable of being brought 
quite forwards occasionally, so that the animal 
can rub its head with them; these feet are 
divided into five toes, separated by a large 
web, and are a foot broad: the tail is only 
two inches long. The hair is long and rough, 
and beneath it is a soft down of a bay colour ; 
on the neck of the male the hair is' upright, 
and a little longer than the rest. The ge- 
neral colour of the animal is black, but the 
hair of the old ones is tipped with grey, and. 
