The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-21
FLAME LANGUAGE

New Orleans Picayune

New orleans Hlcdyune-
The trainman who at night swings his
lighted lantern high in air, sending a def-
mite message TO the engineer several hun
dred yards away: the keeper of the light
house on a dangerous shore; the man who
flashes from ship to ship or from ship TO
land beam of light, all AFFORD interesting
examples of the adaptation by man of re-
markable signal language possessed and
less or without other means OF commune
cation. That this language will ever be
translated. or perfectly understood, Is very
doubtful but fhe fact that II is language
is sufficiently remarkable to those familiar
with II and who have watched the marvel
Gus signals flashed across neld and pasture
in the land where the lightgivers I've.
That light is signal the dQubter can
easily determine by taking one of the large
beetles so common in the South and holding
IL up TO an open window at night, when the
signal will be answered by some free light
given who responds to the call and hovers
about with BRILLIANT illumination. Recent
ly the w4ter watched the brilliant luini-
nous beetles In Texas AS night came on
and the darkness became more intense
flashes of light appeared here and there.
like diamonds against black sky, then
as meteors flashing across the held or
vision, followed by others, until veritaDle
rain of fire appeared as a swarm of light
givers darted in given direction. lt oc-
CURED 10 some one 10 capture one OF these
iightgivers; and, as previously deserioea s
would hold a lantern. III was not long Dt-
fore the signal was answered: another light
giyer from out of the darkness few toward
ii. demonstrating beyond question that the
insect had ST laied and had been an
swered
Among the crabs lights are very common.
In some the light pervades the entire body:
again, il Is confined to the eyes or the legs
or certain segment. The little Cyclops
and Idotea are instances. In another the
yellow green light is In the eye, the animal
seeing and signaling with these organs.
One of the starf1shes Is a blaze or light. mt
orally a fiery star: not constant, but STEADY
from one portion TO the other, seemingly at
will until the active animal blazes out as
star of fire Peering down into the sea. the
observer sometimes becomes witness to the
signals of varions animals. The writer was
floating on the Bay of Avalon one night
looking down into the water, when ne OBJ
served a light the size of Decent piece
directly beneath. Gradually IL increased in
size until IL became In a short time as large
as a dinner plate, when IL remained for
moment or two striking object, then grad
ually diminished TO the original dimensions;
il rose from the bottom TO the surface,
where IL soons began TO move about I'm a
si,uous course, the light so intense that IL
resembled a coal of fire. throwing on rhos-
phorescence or luminous matter which
formed train several inches behind II,
soon apparently attracting others. which
pursued IT, The water was intensely dark
and dotted with these lights. which ap-
peared TO be chasing each other on the sur
face.
This living light was minute worm al
most invisible 10 the naked eye. The worms
are noted for their strange lights In some
the light emitting organs are the feet and
several worms have lights of different col
ors. one of the fishes has two lights upon
its head, one green, the other yellow, and
that these strange beams do not have a
special meaning or significance in the life
of these creatures IL is difficult TO imagine.