XL] 
PHOSPHORESCENT CRUSTACEA. 
55 
at Mussel Bay in 1872-73, that small cmstacea can live by 
millions in water-drenched snow at a temperature of from — 2° 
to — 10°’2 C. On this point I say in my account of the expedition 
of 1872-73 
''If during winter one walks along the beach on the snow 
which at ebb is dry, but at flood tide is more or less drenched 
through by sea-water, there rises at every step one takes, an 
exceedingly intense, beautiful, bluish-white flash of light, which 
in the spectroscope gives a one-coloured labrador-blue spectrum. 
This beautiful flash of light arises from the snow, before com¬ 
pletely dark, when it is touched. The flash lasts only a few 
a. Carabus truncaticolUs ^^cnscnouTZ. (One and a half the natural size.) 
b. Aloplius sp. (One and two-thirds the natural size.) 
moments after the snow is left untouched, and is so intense, that it 
appears as if a sea of fire would open at every step a man takes. 
It produces indeed a peculiar impression on a dark and stormy 
winter day (the temperature of the air was sometimes in the 
neighbourhood of the freezing-point of mercury) to walk along 
in this mixture of snow and flame, which at every step one takes 
splashes about in all directions, shining with a light so intense 
that one is ready to fear that his shoes or clothes will take 
fire.” 
1 Eedogdrelse for den svensim polarexpeditionen dr 1872-73. Bihang till 
Vet.-Akad. Handl. Bd. 2, No. 18, p. 52. 
