OF CORNWALL. 253 
land, not difperfed equally in all waters, but more or lefs in parti- 
cular parts of land and fea-water ; that they do not fhine without 
being agitated by the treading of horfes or men, or by the force of 
oars, rocks or Chips, is becaufe, when at reft, they mutually hide 
the luminous juices of their body, juices which fhine in the dark, but 
cannot make that fhining vifible till the throng is fomewhat difperfed, 
and the difturbed infects have room to exert and difplay their luftre. 
Why none of thefe waters fhine in the day-time is obvious, the 
light of thefe little creatures has not force fufficient to make itfelf 
perceivable among the folar rays ; perhaps too, thefe infers rife to 
the furface of the water by night, and there gather themfelves to- 
gether as the proper feafon for affembling. Laftly, that this harmlefs 
fire faints, and gradually expires in an hour, is owing to the death 
of thefe animalcules for want of their own element; they fhine 
not after death. 
Ir then this lucid appearance is owing to infedts, we cannot but 
admire the immenfity of this order of creatures, and revere that 
infinite fertile power which (to fay nothing of what we find by 
land) has fpread over the furface of the fea fuch a profufion of 
animal life, couched in fuch contra&ed and yet fplendid bodies, that 
in one bay or creek there are infe&s more in number likely, than 
all the quadrupeds upon the face of the whole earth. 
But from the number let us come to fome of the moll remark- sect. Hi 
able and larger forts, among which the fea polype may challenge 
our next notice. Polypes are found in great number and variety Polypes, 
inclofed in alcyoniums, corallines, corals, ( Philofophical Tranf- 
a&ions of 1751 and 1752, vol. XL VII. page 101) marbles, and 
other ftones ', and, if I miftake not, in fome branchy fucus s ; for 
when they are fixed to the rock on which they grow, they have a moll 
beautiful blueifh purple at the extremity of the branches, but taken 
out of the water, appear of the brown common fea-wrack colour ; 
which alteration for the worfc, I attribute to the polypes, or fome 
other animalcules contra&ing themfelves into their own cells as foon as 
they are taken from their proper element, and refer to further en- 
quiry. In fhort, there is fcarce any plant or foft ftone in the fea 
without fome polype or other in it, nature having provided thofe 
creatures which have lefs of the locomotive faculty, with longer and 
more flexible tubes, and numerous feelers to reach after and apprehend 
their prey, than thofe which can ken, purfue, and overcome it. 
I fhall next take notice of fome zoophytes (whether polypes or 
not, perhaps may be queftioned) which have reached my notice in 
' Ibidem ut fupra, page 68. 
T t t 
the 
