The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-01

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mon, and among the most striking
and remarkable of natural phenom
ena. Once in returning from days
hunt through deep fore't in the
heart of the Adirondack region, l
stumbled against dead limb of a
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 burn
ing where it lay. This was an I'M
usually brilliant display of the best
known of luminous plants, the fox
fire." witches glow" of childhood
days. To tie layman tbs often mys-
FERROUS, as investigation shows moth
ing but the decayed wood, and some
times soft, pulpy mass. The bot
anist will soon point out the light
giver in the mycelium of some fun
gus that has permeated the old
branch, and fairly taken possession
of it, converting it into a glorious
spectacle when it is 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
greatest luminous effects. This is
the diatom, which the naturalists of
the Challenger found floating in the
ocean in vast number; and as the nu
cleus of the diatom is often brilliantly
phosphorescent some of the most re-
remarkable displays of light observed
by the naturalists were occasioned by
these little plants. But what shall
W. say to sight observed by Nor
wegian bark in the bay of Funchal.
The waters here are fairly alive with
the little luminous plants the year
around, and on the occasion referred
to water spout formed among them.
During the day it would have attract
ed little attention, as the phenome-
non is a common one; but the crew
of the ship were suddenly confronted
at night by literal pillar of fire or
ght that extended upward to dis
lance seemingly of thousand feet,
and moved along with a decided
bend. 1t emitted a pale yellow light
that stood out in strong relief against
the black night, weird and formid-
able spectacle, rushing ON before the
wind
In the legends of nearly all coun-
tries 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 certain spring about or near
which grew burning plant which
disappeared when any one APP
preached. In 1916 the natives near
Simla were greatly alarmed by a
plant which they said burned with
fierce glow at night on the mountains
near Syree-a light that came from
plant known as dictamnus.
An English naturalist wishing to
astonish some natives in a wild part
of Asia in which he was travelling,
and impress them with his supernat-
ural powers, secured certain vine
known as Euphorbia phosphorea,
and rubbing it upon big rock
caused the latter to CLEAN with fame
and present SO remarkable a spec
tacle 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 phosphorescent.
In the Hartz mountains there has
been for ages a cave known as the
haunted cavern, and volumes could
be written on the tales of ghosts and
strange phantoms observed in and
about it by the peasantry, Finally
an Englishman travelling in the vi
cinity, and hearing of it determined
to investigate the mystery, and after
much persuasion obtained two young
men to guide him to the haunted