Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-12-19
IN JUNGLE DEPTHS.
Burning Bushes Which are Never
Consumed.
A PILLAR OF FIRE ON THE OCEAN.
How Scientist Fitted up His Study
With a Naturs., Electric Light
System.

Merriam, think, describes an extraor
dinary spectacle which she observed il
Asia. Her party was moving through
forest at night, when without warn
ing large light appeared. At first
dim, it increased in size growing larger
ald larger, until finally tree was out
lined in soft pulsating light.
The natives were demoralized, and
refused to approach it, saying that il
was the sacred tree of fire. But the
naturalist had little faith in trees oi
fire, and Investigated it, finding that
the light was due to certain insects,
which by the way, has never been OBJ.
served since.
That tree or plant could give light
was deemed a figure of the imagina-
ton; yet to-day it is known that light
giving plants are not uncommon and
among the most striking and remarka-
BILE of natural phenomena. Once in re.
turning from days hunt through a
deep forest in the heart of the Adiron-
dack region, stumbled against dead
limb or tree, when to my amazement
was at once surrounded by a silvery
light that flew in all directions like
darts and arrows of fire, each piece
burning where it lay. This was an
unusually brilliant display of the best
known of luminous plants, the ''fox
fire, witches glow" Of childhood
days. To the layman it is often mys-
terious, as investigation shows nothing
but the decayed wood, and sometimes a
soft, pulpy mass The botanist will
soon point out the light giver in the
mycelium Of some fungus that has per-
meated the old branch and fairly taken
possession of it, converting it into a
glorious spectacle when disturbed.
The vividness of the light may be esti-
mated when it is known that print
can often be read by it; and the light
of some has been known to penetrate
through several thicknesses of paper.
Singular to say, the smallest plant is
often the means of producing the great
est luminous effects. This is the dia-
tom, which the naturalists of the Chal-
lenger found floating in the ocean in
vast numbers; and as the nucleus of
the diatom is often brilliantly phos.
phorescent some of the most remarkable
displays of light observed by the natur-
alists were occasioned by these little
plants. But what is to be said of a
sight observed by a Norwegian bark
in the Bay of Funchal. The waters
here are fairly alive with these little
luminous plants the year around, and
ON the occasion referred to water
spout formed among them.
During the day it would have at
tracted little attention, as the phenom-
enon is common one; but the crew
of the ship were suddenly confronted
at night by literal pillar of fire or
light that extended upward to dis
tance seemingly of thousand feet, and
moved along with a decided bend. 1t
emitted pale yellow light that stood
out in strong relief against the black
night, weird and formidable specta-
Gle, rushing ON before the wind.
In the legends of nearly all countries
there are burning bushes and similar
phenomena which can readily be traced
to luminous plants. One of these
legends from the northern part of
Afghanistan states that there was a
certain spring about or near which
grew a burning plant which disap-
peared when any one approached. In
1S45 the natives near Simila were
greatly alarmed by plant which they
said burned with fierce glow at night
on the mountains near Syree-a light
that came from plant known as Die
tamus.
An English naturalist, wishing to
astonish some natives in wild part of
Asia, in which he was travelling, and
impress them with his supernatural
powers, secured certain vine known
as Euphorbia phosphorea, and rubbing
it upon big rock caused the latter to
gleam with flame and present SO re-
markable spectacle that the natives
ran, believing that he had set the
rock afire by simply touching it. The
naturalist was aware that the milky
juice of this plant, that resembled the
dandelion, was brilliantly phosphores-
cent.
In the Hartz Mountains there has
been for ages cave known as the
haunted cavern, which owes its repu-
tation to phosphorescent plant.
In Brazil there is an agaric that
often astonishes strangers who pene-
trate the deep jungles of the interior.
Another is found growing ON palm
trees, emitting a brilliant greenisf
hue, and known as the Flor de Coco.
Perhaps the most startling exhibi
tion was observed several years ago by
an English traveller in Borneo. Belat
ed, he was oyertaken by night, and
there being no moon he was fearful o.
losing his way, when as the darkness
came on singular lights appeared her,
and there in the bushes and by tn,
roadside. Some were yellow, othel