New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-07

one plate and covered down with another. ana
then put into suitable temperature ana Icft
for a day and night. glints of llght can ~
the end o! the time be detected at various
points on their bodies when they are examined
in "A dark room. If they arr yet again put away
for another twenty-f four hours, the points or
light spread until the whole of the fish are en-
veloped In a beautiful blush glow TIC Hgh'
is then al its best. and gradually fades away as
the FISH putrcfes and the sea-Water drles up,
II "A little OF tho light-giving matter be scraped
of the skins Of the behring's ana examined
under the microscope. IL shows itself - be noth-
ing but colonies collections OF bacteria. an
living AT 4 great I,dcc dividing multiplying ana
developing at tremendous rate. Each mem
Der Of A colony i normally roundsh IN shape,
but in this s;age of reproduction II * con
tlnually clongatiDs into > long clNrSc. con
stric.ion aIpcars ~ the middle. and II DIVIDES
INTO tno. Each ~ these two IN their turn
cloncatr become CONSTRUCTED, and divide And
il goes on the process being often so RAPID
that short chains are formed. the various por-
tons being unable To- hr ak away in time The
particular hactcrIup which affects behring's and
cod IS remarkable FOR is great luminosity, IN
fact Il IS, cods all other species in ;hs quaHty.
SUGAR AND LIGHT Predicting POWER
It Is q curious FAC; that the addition Of Il
U,;lc sugar to tn" liquid or the gelatinc on
which these phua phorcs .cnt lactorla N" being
cultivated increases Vcry much their power ~
producing light. thc sugar must. however, he
used Wiln great moderation. IL too much If Il
has contrary enort and checks the luninositt
altogether Tn, reason for this is that nearly
al this class ~ bacteria require carbon as nouf
.snu,ut if they are to develop To their highest
powers Like much ~ tho food v" cat. II IS h"t
essential 30 them. they can manag" very vel
without IL. In, they all tn" better for having
a. Nrw. SUGAR g. very largely composed oi
carbon. hence tho good results Whi'h folio"
ITS pTcs' nee. GlyCrrin". which * u similar
composition. viii do alm"s; "a well. from noth
terra ,au easily withdraw carbon. Two
photo bacteria have. however. been observed
which arc sou.t. hat differently constituted, one
is found round -" West Indies and tn other
IN The Norih Sea and neither apparently re
ouirrs sugar coz s.tc"riuv In any form IN Tact
either of ihcs' substances. even in he >rrail,rSt
quar-. it, appears 20 BE- dirc -t,y injurious. Tut
vhy TINS should BE- eo 1t IS not easy e. dc'in".
IiutchWau named Hcttr!nck has lately
made q special study II these photo bacteria.
ard has 'Np,rimcnt'd with them III great
nnwn' Of wigs. :" determine. u possible. why
they s1oGl! thus become Illuminated. and If the
hsht plays any notable part in their lf" his
tory, hut his results ar. seemingly. all more
or less e a n"gati'" nature. II" cannot find
that u has any very important function The
breathing ~ thos" tiny organisms is not ap-
par'utly. IN ans way bound up with II. their
nutrition. grow IN and development 90 on quite
wen even II they ar" placed under such con
diiions that thor luminosity Is arrested: IN no
way. indeed is ii a vi'al procs ~. 1t only seems
t. depend ou tn food which tho bacteria feed
upon and The presence Of oxygen. Given suit
able food and plenty ~ fresh air. and they ex-
hibit their characteristic light. deprive them OF
one or the other and they no longer shine.
This knowledge helps Ms t. understand. then.
the phenomenon 81 phosphorcsccncc. II is Visi-
blc only at night because IN thu full glare OF
day III" greater light oVcrpowrrS the lesser: il
Is visible al certain times and seasons because
tn" conditions ruch q evoke II. And
what - favor? bic for the lighting up Of n single
bactcrum Is Favorable for al. hence the myriad
muliitudcs of Infnit"siWal units each set glow
iuj with &C. ir. hcht. are sufficient IN the sum
total To- put a whole ocean andmc
II would. of course. be prcsumptuous. and
doubtless erroneous. TO SAY that all the phOs-
phor,srencr of the sen Is due solely to photo
.ris, Dpt. Ia, rf.I in he S.spf
stat. 81 our knowledge that they certainly
r, spt nsihlr for great share # II. But this
wonder Of nature must now bc regarded as yet
another instance ~ the mighty results accom-
plishcd through the agency of the smallest Of
living things.