Imperial Valley press., 1913-10-17
LUMINOUS BIRDS ARE
OF GREAT ANTIQUITY

Stories of birds that glow or shine
in the night are of great antiquity,
and many of them doubtless belong to
the realm of fancy or superstition.
Pliny, the Roman naturalist, describes
birds of this sort as existing in the
Hercynian forest, and at various
times throughout the middle ages SIM
liar tales appear. In 1866 Conrad
Gessner published a book in Latin on
luminous animals and plants-an odd
mixture of fact and fiction. 1t now
appears certain, however, that some
birds have, at certain times, the
property of phosphorescence, probably
due, as is believed by naturalists, to
the presence of luminous bacteria on
their feathers. How these bacteria
are picked up is another question,
which seems not to have been salts
factorily answered. We quote from
an article contributed to knowledge,
by Count L. de Sibour. Says this
writer:
THAT birds having the quality of
luminosity have long existed seems
fact beyond dispute. Especially true
is this in England. In 1907 Sir Digby
Piggott called the attention of or
nithologists to the appearance of lu-
minous birds in Cambridge, and these
unusual members of the feathered
family had already been noticed by
others in the same country.
at seems that as early as 1866, in
the same county, J. A. Harvis- Brown
had mentioned moving lights fre
ouently seen at night. But no spe-
cial attention had been paid to these
reports, as they were believed to have
originated in the credulous minds of
country folk.
''The more frequent apparitions in
1907 at last aroused the attention of
naturalists, especially in France,
where similar cases had been observed
in the Vosges and in the Pyrenees.
According to Sir Digby Piggott, a
couple of luminous birds were seen
near Twiford, Norfolk, in February,
1907, by a gamekeeper, who, having
killed one, identified it as a common
barn owl. In October, 1907, B. J.
Purdy and Mr.. Spencer saw another
which was seen again on the 10Th and
22nd of December. On the first oc-
casion it seemed to have attained the
maximum of luminosity, as the
branches of the tree upon which it had
perched were visible in the pale yell
low glow. This light did not frighten
the mice; for the bird was seen to
drop upon them several times.
"The power of the light was that Of
a bicycle lamp seen three or four hun
dred yards off, and it's strength dimin-
ished considerably when the birds
flight was in direction away from
the observer. This pointed to the in
ference that the luminosity was con
fined to the breast.
THE glow on the breast of the
barn owl is undoubtedly due to phos-
phoresence, and the molting of the
feathers explains its sudden eXtinc-
ton
Two theories were given as to the
origin of this unusual luminosity.
Mr. Gurney, who had the oppor-
turity of observing several specimens
Of these birds, thought it probable that
the owls had been in contact with
phosp sphorescent wood, and that phoS-
phorescent bacteria had attached
themselves to the feathers. This opin-
ion at first was generally accepted,
especially in Norfolk, where many
birds had been seen, and was appar-
emily confirmed when Lord Lindley
announced that on his property there
was a beech tree showing a patch of
phosphorescence eight inches square.
1t was therefore surmised that the
birds had inhabited holes infested by
this bacterium. The other theory was
that dampness and uncleanliness Of
the covering Of the breast had favored
d sudden growth Of luminous fungi
peculiar to feathers. This explana-
tion appears to have been more plaus-
ible; for in the contact theory it would
seem that the wings and head rather
than the breast, would be likely to
touch the sides Of the hole. Yet these
parts produced little or no light.
Again, it would occessitate the bird
being d tree-hole dweler, whereas
similar cases have been observed on
Canadian blue herons, for which this
kind Of life is impossible"
The phenomenon is not confined
strictly to wild birds, we are told.
Cases are also found among domestic
ni1aona Tho fact that tho LIGHT uro-