The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-01

display OF living lights are most wonder |
ful. In some of the countries of Northern
Africa is found on of the most remark
able-a phosphorescent lizard or gecko
that at certain times CLEANS with won
drous light. that is supposed to be pro-
tecIion, as few animals of prey would
attempt to carry away live coal, or what
appears like one.
A few years ago party Of tourists were
travelling in Egypt, camping at night in
tents by the side of their eamels. At one
time they formed camp in a rocky locality.
awoke. and seeing what he supposed was
a coal from the supper fire upon his
blanket attempted to knock it off.
at the same time calling for one
of the natives; but as his. hand
touched the supposed coal it felt cold and
rolled away. Sprlnging to his feet be saw
several of the cleaning objects rolling
about IN marvellous manner, and while
he was specializing as tOothe occurrence.
his native servant rushed in, and, picking
up one OF the lighted objects, showed 1t TO
be merely geckO that had the faculty of
giving out the curious CLEANS. AS the
Arab held the struggling creature high in
air, il bazed out with brightness so vivid
that print could have been read by it.
In some parts OF the East these curious
blazing re ptiles are used as ornaments on
the headdresses of the native women.
Among the rocks. about which they like
to hide, they present strange appearance
as they dart here and there.
By far the most remarkable of natures
lamps are beneath the sea. In drifting
over tile waters. especially north of Cape
Cod, on the Atlanlc coast in the months
of August and September, their wondrOus
forms are always seen. Here great cornets
dash across the field fvision-jelly- fishes,
as cyanea and aurelia, and multitude OF
smaller forms, all blazing and cleaning.
their tails like that of a veritable comet
streaming away after them. The slightest
touch of the oar turns the water into a
perfect sea of fire; the oar blade drips
with the cleaning drops, and the waves
that roll away from the boat are mi ky
white In September these jelly light
gIvers become broken up. and all their
parts more luminous than ever. give to the
waves the creamy-white display so often
noticed.
II a small jelly can give on: q light so
brilliant what must be the effect of one
where the streamers are 100 feet long and
the jelly itself strong enough TO stop a
boat that ran into it One of these
giants was observed by Mr.. Tefair in
$780, near Bombay, India The natives
had reported at various times that a
gigantic gleaming monster had been seen
in the sea. and some said that they had
seen the same in the sky many years be-
fore. evidently meaning a comet. Finally
Mr.. Telfair saw. this monster that proved
to be a jelly-tiSh, and a vertable giant of
its race. At night its tentac!es seemed
fiery train three hundred feet in length,
presenting a dazzing Spectacle to those
who rowed over 1t with boat, each ten
uacle appearing like a red. hot wire gleam-
lug with a bright light, while the body
resembled an enormous incandeseent
sphere, throwing out light for
one hundred feet about it. IL finally
ran upon the beach or was washed
in, where it remained for some time, the
natives watching it, hoping TO obtain its
skeleton, which ii is needless TO say they
did not succeed in finding. For nun Der
of days after it stranded, it emitted so
strong light at night that ii was visible
for great distance and illuminated the
faces and forms of those who stood about
with great brilllancy. 1t was est mated 10
weigh, including the tentacles, Two tons,
and was the largest tnyertebrats animal
ever seen.
1t is not surprising that these curious
lighi-gIvers have been the subject oI5much
investigation The great naturalist, Spal-
lahZanl, was the first tG observe and dIaw
attention to luminous jellies. One aureia
that he exDerimented with and squeezed
In tweDty-seven ounces of milk made he
whole so lumiDOu that a letter was ad
by the light three feet distant this being
the Irst practlcalresuit OF he discovery of
animal pnosphOreSence. Humboldt, also,
experimental with the same animal. and
having placed 1t upon tin plate, observed
that Whenever he struck it with another
metal the slightest vibration of the tin
rendered the Jelly completely luminous
Through the great Jeliies are wOndrous
sights-lhe very smallest animals often
make more striking displays. This is
true OF the noctiuca, a little animal that
oar hord lt ha nit n hnr A
gobletful of these minute creatures pro-
duces light sufficient TO read at a distance
of two feet, the glass appearing ablaZe
with light, while If We should place SEN
sitive thermometer among them 1t would
not show the slightest elevation of tenn
perature. The captain OF an American
ship traVersed a zone of these animals in
the Indian Ocean nearly thirty miles in ex-
tent II was perfect night, yet the light
emitted by these myriads of fire. bodies, of
which he estimated there were thirty
thousand in a cubic foot of water, eclipsed
the brightest stars; the milky way was
but dimly seen, and as far as the eye
could reach the water presented the APP
peaTance of a vast cleaning sea of molten
metal of purest white. The sails. masts
and rigging cast weird shadows all about;
flames sprang from the bow as the ship
surged along, and great waves of living
light spread out ahead-a fascin ating and
appalling sight.
The sea-pens are remarkable for their
phosphoTescence. one rich purple variety,
according TO AgassiZ, emitting a golden
green light of most wonderful softness.
When The ship Venus was lying of Smons.
town, one of the boats passed over a
forest Of sea-pens in shoal water, that gave
such light that the men could read by it,
while when the ship lay at anchor other
phosphorescent animals illuminated the
ports so that the men lying in them could
read Gu the darkest nights.
In southern seas the pyrosoma is found
This is an aggregation of individuals form
ing hollow cylinder. closed at one end,
and from two inches to FIVE feet in height.
They are richly tinted during the day. but
at night are veritable ire-bodies, as their
name implies. Humboldt refers 10 passing
a zone of them in the gulf stream,
distinguishing by their light the forms of
and other fishes that bathed by
their CLEAN stood out in bold relief far be-
low the surface. The light they emit is at
times yellow. reddish and azure blue. and
SO brilliant that it is said Bibra, the
used them to illuminate his
cabin, writing description of them by
their own light.
They are met with in South American
waters in vast shoals. Professor Moseley
captured a pyrosOma four feet long, ten
inches In diameter, with walls an inch
in thioknaeQ II evae nIocad unnp "a