Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-19
LIGHT GIVING ANIMALS.
Some Curious Phosphorescent Crea-
lures Found in the Sea-


lures Found in the Sea.
From the New York Tribune
Ii some inventor shall arise who can de-
wise ways and means whereby every home
in the United States can be successfully
equipped with an inexhaustibIe supply of
pyrosoma. II Is possible there will be no
more wranglng over gas bills no more
deaths by asphyxiation, no more trouble
with breaking carbons in electric light
bulbs; in short 1t Is just possible that the
hghting problem will have been solved. But
that is all-it is not at all probable and
until scientists know more about the pyro-
soma than they do now that animal VIII
remain simply a curiosity; one of the most
Interesting phosphorescent animals in the
world
American there are. however. record.
several instances of persons having put the
light emitted by this peculiar animal to
practical purposes. One specimen kept
alive in a tank in a dark room would when
stirred with a stick. emit a light strong
enough TO enable one to read medium sized
print. The light is described as ghostly,
and though the writer does not say so, the
sensation must have been anything but
comfortable when reading in light from
such a source
Still another writer tells of having written
his name with his finger upon the side Of
giant pyrosoma. whereupon the characters
were instantly reproduced in letters of lv-
ing fire. A French zoologist who met a
school OF pyrosoma says that they resem-
bied red hot balls of fire., but the claim
is advanced for Bibra, a Brazilian natural
list. that he was the first to put the light of
THESE queer creatures to a practical pur
pose. Placing six small ones in a swinging
glass In his cabin, he is said to have written
description of the animals by their own
light.
BY some the pyrosoma is called the fire.
p rat nd f1,D l.
for the animal does resemble barrel be-
ing about foot in length and open at one
end. 1t is in the tropics that it is found at
Its best. but II Is also found sometimes in
the waters of the islands of southern Cali
fornia. One caught in Avalon bay in these
waters some time ago was successfully
placed In tank and photographed. First
seen. a blaze of light about ten feet below
the surface as 1t slowly rose to the surface,
1t was supposed to be a huge Jelly fish.
Through the window of a glass-bottomed
boat its course was followed as II rose, and
then Its shape was seen to be long and
cylindrical. A faint light was ernftted from
the animal, but the moment it was touched
1t blazed out in a bright glare of siivery
green light.
Close examination, as we'll as its photo
graph, reveals the fact that the pyrosoma
is not one animal, but in realty millions of
minute little creatures all joined together in
one body by insoluble ties Each of these
little individual animals in feeding draws
In water that is expelled into the inside
space, and out into the sea again through
the opening at one end of the composite AMI
mai. 1t is this process of taking in and
eJecttng water that forces the pyrosoma
along. In the tropics the pyrosoma often
grows to great size. One found there Is
said to have measured four feet in length
and to have been ten inches in diameter.
Scientists give the pyrosoma high rank In
the different stages of animal life CHASING
1t a little lower than the fishes. Indeed 1t
Is claimed that In the larvae of some forms
notocord Is to be found. believed by some
to be primitive backbone
The light emitted by these wonderful ami
mails varies both in tint and color. some CIV
ing off comparatively white light, others
a blush light, and still others a. beautiful
pale greenish light The brillancy OF the
light given off by a vast number of these
animals when grouped together is best de-
scribed by Sir Wyville Thompson, who
wrote of sailing through large number
of them in this fashion, 'It was an easy
matter to read the smallest print sitting at
the after port In my cabin, and the bows
shed on either side rapidly widening spaces
of radiance so vivid as to throw the sails
and rigging into lights and shadows"