VOYAGE FOR THE DISCOVERY OF SOUTHERN LANDS.

950

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PYROSOMA.

Corpus gelatinofum, rigidiusculum , liberum , tuberculis afperatum, fubconicum , extre-mitate ampliore apertum , vacuum, apertures margine intus tuberculis cinflo.

PYROSOMA ATLANTICUM.

JEquatorio-Atlanticum, gregarie-pelagi-vagum, vividiflime phofphorefcens, coloribus eximiistunc effulgens, 22 0 R. (71.6 0 Fahr.) cocalidioribus occurrens in undis ; 10, 12, I 4 >16 centimetres (digitos Ang. ufque 6|) cequans ,

FOR a long time we had been detained by calms in the middle of the equatorialregions, and were unable to advance towards the fouth, except on occalion of theflight hurricanes peculiar to thefe climates, known to French mariners by the title ofgrains des tropiques, when, on the 4th December, in the evening, we experiencedone more violent than common, the fky was every where obfeured by big clouds;the darknefs was* extreme, the wind blew with great force, and our fliip made greatway through the water. Suddenly we diftinguifhed at fome diftance a large feurf, asof phofphorus fpread over the waves, and occupying a confiderable fpace before us.The fpe&acle accompanied by the circumftances I have noticed, poflefled fomewhatromantic, grand, and impofing, which attra&ed the attention of every one. Everybody ran on deck to enjoy the Angular appearance. In a little time we reached thisfiery part of the ocean, and perceived that this prodigious fplendor was occafioned byinnumerous animals, which, borne upon, and carried along with the waves, floatedat different depths, and appeared of different forms. In fact, thofe molt deeply float-ing, their form in part concealed, refembled large mafies of burning matter, or ratherenormous red hot balls, while thofe on the furface of the waves were like incandefcentcylinders of iron.

Every naturalift in each fhip was anxious to obtain fome of thefe Angular animals,and on board the Geographe, M. Mange was the firft who procured any. He wasfo fortunate to draw up thirty or forty, on which I was enabled to make manyobfervations.

All thefe animals refembled each other in form, colour, fubftance, and phofphoricproperty, and differed only in fize, which varied from 1 o to 16 centimeters * ; all ofthem were feparate and not connected together.

They were of an elongated, and nearly cylindrical form ; their fore part was thelarger, and perpendicularly truncated, a wide circular opening admitted a view of thewhole infide of the animal, which was tubulolous and empty, exhibiting no otherveftige of organs than a very delicate vificular net-work, which line the whole interiorof this cavity. A ring of large tubercles occupied the whole of the interior raifed rimof the opening of the fore-part, and thus diminilhed to nearly one-half of its fize thediameter of this fpecies of mouth. The hind-part of the animal of fmaller breadth thanthe fore-part, and obtufe, fhewed no trace of any opening whatever, even when ob-ferved with the microfcope.

The whole exterior of the animal briftled with large and unequal elongated tuberclesof firmer fubftance than the other parts of the animal, more diaphanous alfo, and

* 4 to inches.

brilliant