Esperienze ed Cssep^ya^icrii sopra il Fosforo 
delle Lucciole; b^^'^'t^'r^^dori , Briignat el 1 i ’ s 
Giornale di Fisica, flhimioa e Storia Matu- 
rale, 1 8C8 , Voi. 1, pp. 269 - 28C. Extraots. 
”A quantity of aqueous fluid is neoessary 
in order for tb.e fosfcrus cf thè luoiola to 
Triaintairi its activity, 3 ino e this sub stane e 
which has lost this portion of water - whioh 
imparts thè softness required for its fos- 
ferie constituticn - ^oses all its power of 
gbwirig. I took a portion of thè fosforic 
paste or a portion cf thè fosfcrus extraoted 
freni thè abdomeu-S of several luoiolas, and 
dried it artificiali:/ during different times, 
and at thè fire, and in thè suhlight, and 
observd that it always Icst i tsfosforescence 
in proportion to thè rapidity of thè drying. 
If one detaches thè luniinous abdomen of a 
lucida, one sees it in a short tinie conver-» 
ted into a whitish or yel 1 ewish-whi te nateria 
and thè light fades out, and thè fosforic 
paste quickly Icses its moisture and becomes 
dry. But if one takes thè fosforescent abdo- 
mens one or several luciolas and detaches 
then quickly, this fosfcrus suddenly 'iisplayB 
a greater light then befor. When prest with 
th€. finger it displays increast activity, 
showiruT thè light af resh , and repeating thè 
operaticn iray show' a third peried cf activity 
But final ly there remains between thè hands a 
dry, whitish material w^hich , hewever handl ed , 
dees net -viv mcr light.” 
He then f^oes on tc say that by softening 
thè dry tissue in water thè 1 ight»prcducti cn 
is restord, but very faintly, and that thè 
same thing is true of other animai s. He ad- 
vances thè view that thè me i sture, in evapo- 
rating froxn thè orp^an, takes thè light aw/a^'^ 
with it. Ice, he found, graaually causd the 
light to disappear, but it was restcrd on ad- 
dine warm water. Under mercury and in a baro 
