Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1890 — Illuminated. [ARTICLE]

Illuminated.

Qi&e by one tibe .mysteries of the animal -world are yield ,ng before the investi atictns of naturalists. Some very curious information is given in a recent is*ue .of a tFnench scientific .periodical regarding microbes that have the faculty of tbeing sei f-luminous. One moonlight evenings spot of greenish light was noticed on the seashore. On closer examination the light proved to come from within a crustacean of the genus Talitrus or sand-flea. The entire Teiitre, ineluding the antennae, was phosphorescent. Only the eyes were dark spots in the luminous figure. He was proceeding, more slowly than is natural to that species, ocer the sand. Other similarly illuminated Talitres were sought for, but his seemed to be a unique distinction. The next day one of his claws was examined under a microscope. It was full es a singular kind of bacteria, \ luminous microbes. These luminous mierobs « appear on lbs ear- * •

fao of the sea, in the sand of the seashore, sometimes on meat, and in saltwater fish. Just what their phosphorescence is due to is not clearly understood. Other Talitres were inoculated with the bacteria. In less than three days they Bhone with a white light. They remained in this state from three to six days, apparently not greatly inconvenienced by the presence of the microbes. Then fame a motionless state, which lasted three or four days, when they died, and a few hours later the fatal illumination faded.