The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-08 00:00:00

8111-XING WATER.

However favourable the circumstances may otherwise
have been for the production of the phenomenon, perfectly
tranquil water was always completely dark. A concussion,
no matter how feeble, was requisite for the manifestation of
light. A grain of sand thrown upon the dark surface gave
rise to a luminous blot, and the undulations proceeding
from this centre were perceptible as luminous circles, be-
coming larger and larger, but at the same time more and
more faint in proportion to their distance; just as the eon-
centric undulations themselves became more feeble as they
receded from the centre. A stone as large as one's fist
produced similar effects, but in a more marked degree ; and
then, moreover, the drops resulting from the splash resem-
bled the sparks flying from an anvil on which the black-
smith is welding a bar of iron raised to a white heat. Tran-
quillity being again restored to the surface, all returns to
obscurity, and the keenest observer could detect nothing
that would lead him to suppose that this water, dark even
to blackness, was ready at any moment to burst into corus-
cations, and recognise by its phosphorescent play, the
descent upon its surface even of the minutest fragment of
straw. The oyster-bed was always encircled by a phos-
phorescent belt, arising from the constant undulations of
the sea, which broke upon the beach in gentle ripples.
Seen from a distance, these little waves, barely four inches
in height, presented a dead white tint, which might have
been mistaken for foam illuminated by moonlight; but on
a nearer approach their appearance changed, and !hay
seemed to be crowned with a faint bluish flame, comparable
to that proceeding from a lighted bowl of punch. When
they burst, the illumination, even as it appeared to a person
standing at the water's edge, became whiter and more
vivid, and the undulations often resembled waves of molten
lead or iron, bespangled all over with innumerable sparks
of a brilliant white, or whitish-green hue. A similar ap-
pearance was presented on the sand after the wavelets
had burst; for they imparted to it a uniformly white
and luminous tint, from which there appeared to spring
myriads of scintillations more vivid and intense than the
luminous ground. As the water became absorbed by the
sand, its limits were clearly defined by a bright luminous
cordon or band, which indicated the extent to which it had
spread upon the shore.
When the hand was plunged into these tlery waves, and
then withdrawn, it was at first completely IZgainous ; but
after a few seconds there only remained a number of glis-
tening specks, which were, however, tolerably persisiait.
Water arawn from the beach, and poured from a certain
height, exactly resembled molten lead, and the splashing
drops presented precisely the same appearance. This lumin-
ous display was of considerable duration, and it was suffi-
ciently brilliant to deceive the instinct of animals. During
one of these nocturnal rambles, in which I was accompanied
by a friend who was aiding me in my experiments, the
watch-dog belonging to tho oyster-bed came bounding to-
wards us, and barked loudly, thinking, no doubt, that he
had to deal with robbers. We repulsed him with the con-
eteanntttelotfeao urhi which:lb reihenffee-
c awl niintsh,t°L?threatening fi
Another circumstance whereby we may recognise that
on
fie r ciree order
shteoataestaeaornepeseepefficrotefmdtil, tahni
dis-
tance.ds
beach
oeoanvccheumssf erionomnt icslavnuhesiceec,dhs necessary ye
tthfioderefthoo haset
injusttrw eimanifestationdngedpraoopdfpuet hcaefiress,eeaxl
as one
exactly
phenomena, is the following : That portion of the
approaches it, to be quite free from phosphorescence; but
when trodden upcn, this is found not to be the case, for the
the same effect as the stone which is flung into the tranquil
water. The very ground appears to kindle under the steps
of the pedestrian, and the fine gravel presents the aspect of
red-hot cinders; this appearance, under the most favour-
able circumstances, extending at times to a distance of
60M0 inches from the impression loft by the foot.

The cause of this phosphorescence is now found to
be marine animals, the smaller kinds of which exist
in such innnZnerable multitudes that the spectator
sees, " as it were, a it 3 he e t of flame spread out before
him, whole waves being rendered luminousfinds,
;.. and,
having steeped his hands in tn., water, he edefen
animal-
." them, that they, too, a:
e.. washed with
light." To ascertain the influence of theft; an
culw filtration through a fine handkerchief was
tried. " The Noctilucm remained upon the linen,
to which they imparted a brilliant light; whilst, on
the other hand, the filtered liquid presented no
signs of phosphorescence, notwithstanding every
means employed to promote it. When the noctt-
lucce were carefully washed from the filter and
placed in water that was previously dark, they at
once imparted to it a phosphorescent appearance."
Pursuing his observations and experiments further
M. de Quatrefages ascertained that the brightness
of some proceeded from a luminous mucus ; of
others from an internal substance, but in the great
majority of cases he saw " the light manifest itself
in sparks or scintillations, along the course of the
muscles alone, and only during their contraction.
This luminosity, however, the writer states, is
" a phenomenon very different in character
from that of phosphorus exposed to the air."
Nor is it attributable to "electricity," but to " the
living organism itself, and what may be termed par
excellence the vital tissue, namely, the muscular,
produces the luminosity solely in virtue of its vital
function, namely, in that of contraction; and the
light emitted appears to be perfectly pure and in-
dependent of any other product." An interesting
paper, too, is that on " The Sun and Solar Pheno-
mena." It seems that that important luminary has,
during the past year, " been in an extraordinary
state of perturbation" through an eruption hayl_n_ff
broken out on its face. No alarm, however,
aa need
broken can
be felt as to its fate. It is going on as well.n away;
be expected, the blotches are gradually a
for it is subject to these fits every
nd Coour,"
also
remaining ,articles treat of I, Light ,
The Ap-
" The Great Exhibition Buildings,
43 -plate Manufac-
plication of Science to Electotrnes7"
five The
The White
tures," "Artificial Precious S
Clover,"and "The Human
" and a Scientific Sum_
He.art.: There are
"Miscellanea," " Reviewa ,
mary.

s,Journal.
The ill edical Critic and Psychological "
Blessings on hira that invented
Sancho. "It corers a man all up pi leel)," said
True, sound sleep does so; but if mind- “) a cloak."
ill at ease, the dreams that may or body be
ere we uncon-
ditionally hideous," "shall give us io Y come, "making
ditionally accept honest Sand; e'use"
' Dream thought and
after the revelations on i o's dictum, especially
Dream life" in the present
number of this journal.
Not that it proposesrtotheir value, but it relates a
settle the question as to the
nature of dreams o
number of very clarions observations and experi-
ments on the subject,
and is evidently written by
one who has devoted, considerable attention to it.
"What is wanted
which these
subjecth isasysnotthsee winruiteehr,fa"citns tahsea
prose-
cution of the
prin-
ciple upon
this might be obtainedcse bmyi gchomtbpearnig
systematised;
the condition