upon Luminous Animals. 283 
that on putting a lampyris splendidula into oxygen gas, 
it gave as much light as four of the same species in common 
air. 
Carradori has made some experiments upon the lucciole, 
(lampyris italica) which led him to deny its phosphorescence. 
He found that the luminous portion of the belly of the insect 
shone in vacuum, in oil, in water, and different liquids, and 
under different circumstances, where it was excluded from 
all communication with oxygen gas. He accounts for the 
result of Forster’s experiment, by supposing, that the worm 
shone more vividly, because it was more animated in oxygen 
gas than in common air. 
Carradori adopts on this subject the doctrine of Brugna- 
telli, and ascribes the luminous appearances of animals, to the 
condensation and extrication of light in particular organs, 
which had previously existed in combination with the substance 
of their bodies. He supposes the light to be originally derived 
from the food, or the atmospheric air taken into the body; 
in short, that certain animals have the peculiar property of 
gradually imbibing light from foreign bodies, and of after- 
wards secreting it in a sensible form.* 
The following experiments which I made upon this subject, 
would lead me to make different conclusions than those of 
the preceding authors. 
Experiment 1. — A glow worm was put into a glass of 
water, in which it lived nearly two hours, and continued to 
emit light as usual, until it died, when the luminous appearance 
entirely ceased. 
Experiment 2. — The luminous substance was extracted 
* Annal di Chimica, Tomo xiii. 1797. 
