The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-11-13
OCEANIC PHosPHoREsCENCE.
Interesting Deep sen Mystery solved
in England.

A correspondent at Confession calls at
tention 10 the large amount Of phosphor-
Cscence which shows itself there and at
Yarmouth LoWest0ft and other places on
the east coast OF Norfolk This phe-
nomenCn is a deeply interesting feature
Of marine life, both Of the deep sea fauna.
and the floating or drifting superficial
organisms. OF pla1EtOn as they are col
IsctIveIy called II has long been known
that nearly all the more Iowly Oriers-the
infusOria, rhizop1de, pOIyes- echiuodeTms.
medUsae, tUniCares mOllusCs. CrUstaCea.
and many insects possessed some power
Of emitting light. A minute rhizop0d. the
NoCtIlUCa miLiaris- is believed 10 be the
chief cause of ph0sphoresccUce Of our
seas. It is now asce-tai1ed. however. that
many sea water bacteria are luminous.
The s0-called phosphorescence Of decay
ing FISH and meat is due 10 bacuIL
Mr.. Barnard and DIT. 4 AIacfadyeau
have produced cultures Of these bacteria
showing their luminous properties. and
Mons. TarchauoG. "a fortnight ago. sent to
the Academy OF Sciences at Paris an ac-
count of similar experiments with light
emitting bacteria Of the Baltic II would
seem that when oxygen has access 20
readily dec0mpoSGs matter light is given
or. The chemical change takes place IN
such way as TO allow just that sv-ir2,
or vibration Of atoms as 20 generate light.
This. too. is cold light. luminosity without
heat, like that Of the FREELY or the glow
worm. VI. TarchanCff has produced Ium-
nous ice with his baciIi Ii is also me
cheapest light known. In these brilliant
tropical seas. where YOU can read by il
which seem 20 dazzle with the glitter Of
eject FrOf- DulbeaT SAYS one horse DOW
EIyriadS Of diamonds. how slight the me-
chanicaI energy TO produce the radiant
er spent without waste would maintain
phosphoreScCur light equal 10 a hundred
thousand candies Here's a chance for
the inventor.
This oceanic phosphorescence helps 10
solve another mystery Of the deep sea IL
used 10 be thought there could be no life
DtloN -ai or so fathomS. FIRST. because
there was no light. and. second. because
lnere could De no oxygen Alas for de-
duCtive zoology The voyages OF our tx-
plorinE ships have proved that there is
abundant and varied life. and that the
polar currents carry plenty Of oxygen To
the deepest depths From depth Of 37I
faJhoms the Challenger dredEe brought
up % specimens belonging 20 fftv-nina
genera and Seveuty-eight species More
over most or the animals that have eyes
above have eyes below. unlike the sight
less dw~ilers in sunless caves. and many
are beautifully colOred-v.liJe. purple
yellow. red. pink. violet and green. Na-
turc would not waste color where 10 was
not wanted These are not Bright things
that El'am uurgckvd Of and in ain
Miles below the Svlrface 'thr great ma
JOrIJy or the animals have eyes saws
Alexander AEaSSIZ. and many Of them arc
things Of beauty IL would seem that in
these abySseS tho light Is phDsph0resCeut
and, rs Prof. HiCkSoU observes. the deem
sea fauna is r@marka bile for the great
number Of animals which possess This
quality II occurs probably more OF less
IN all the more Important groups. a gf-
ant FyrOSuma was brought up by the
ChaIeuEer's deep-Sea trawI Prof Nose
iey SAYS 81 wrote my name with nv I'm
ser ON its surface. as il lay in "a tub az
night and tn name came out in a few
sec uds in letters n fire. London TeIe-
graph