Correspondence Yellow Corn Is Very Rich in Xanthophyll with Very Little Within the Tropics

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July 23, 1921 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 65 What Makes the Glow-Worm Glow ? What Recent Investigations Reveal in the Matter of the Luminous Organs of Various Insects and Sea Life

By William Crowder

HE nature of phosphorescence in light-producing Europe, so often met with in prose and poetry. The tensity of light as in Oypridena, he could illuminate , T animals has been a phenomenon which has engaged latter is merely the wingless female of a Lampyrid t)le area of a. fair-sized city. the attentions of investigators from a time far ante beetle. In fact, all fireflies belong to the Larnpyridoc, It has long been known that many fats, ethereal oils da ting the history of modern science_ It was only a name d-erived from a Greek word which means "to and alcohols emit light when these substances are recently, however, that the attempt to fathom the mys shine." It may surprise some to learn that this sub slowly combined with oxygen \it certain temperatures. tery was met with any appreciable degree of success. family has more than fifteen hundred species of fire With this hint it was inevitable that phosphorescence Contrary to the popular opinion, the peculiar prop flies ; and two hundred and thirty of these, distributed in organic materials could be produced artificially and erty of emitting phosphorescent light is by no means a among forty-two genera, are from the United States in a way that would bear a close analogy to the prin· rare one or confined to a narrow range of individuals. alone. ciple involved in the organs of light'producing animals, In the animal kingdom, in groups ranging from the To what purpose many light-producing animals are Therefore the "pyro experiment" .became a classic protozoa to the vertebrates, there are more than three endowed with this remarkable power is open to much achievement in this direction. hundred genera which contain one or more species that conjecture. Where an apparently valid reason can be Pyrogallol, an organic compound of vegetable nature, are known to be phosphorescent. By far the great ascribed in some instances, the same cannot be main is commonly known through its use as a developing majority are those forms which live in the sea. Of tained in others. Thus, for instance, in fireflies this reagent in photography. If pyro or gallic acid and these, perhaps the best 'known are Noctiluca, a, micro function was presumed to enable the sexes ' to identify hydrogen peroxide be mixed with the juice of any scopic animal which causes the phosphorescent light in each other in the darkness of the night, at which time ordinary vegetable such as a potato, turnip, etc., a the wake of a vessel ; jelly-fishes, which , produce their activities are greatest. If this be true, why, in decidedly phosphorescent light occurs. Now as pyro is flashes of light when colliding with a boat or struck the case of those species where the female is wingless, noteworthy fot its property of combining with oxygen, 'vith an oar ; marine worms and small crustaceans. does the male emit light? Her inability to approach it is at once apparent that what takes place h ere is a As may be suspected, from their higher development, him surely would seem to indicate that the flashing process of oxidization. It is remarkable, nevertheless, the fishes which inhabit the deep sea contain types of his lantern avails him nothing. that although many compounds can be oxidized by a which have the luminous organs specialized in a man Another instance of the purposelessness of this power peroxide mixture, so far as known only pyro and gallic ner well-nigh perfect in their arrangement. The com is : to be found in those abyssal types of crustaceans aci d will oxidize with the prodUction of light. plexity of these , organs may be understood when it is which are totally blind. In this connection, however, it The next step in these most interesting experiments stated that in some individuals they f)Inction somewhat may be mentioned that these sightless creatures are was taken with the photogenic organs of the animals after the fashion of an eyeball ; that is, they can be devoid of complex photogenic organs ; their phosphores themselves. Of all the light-producing animals, per rotated to direct the light or turned completely to cence being due to a lumirious secretion. haps none has lent itself more to inquiry than one of shut the rays off. In others there is an apparatus Again, certain deep-sea prawns were recently found our commonest fireflies, Photltris pennsylvanica. whose luminous organs lighted only the gill cavities similar to an eyelid which acts as a curtain by which . ' Dissection of this insect shows that the photogenic the light can be shut off or turned on at will. 'It is of the animal. What function they perform for the , organ consists of thin layers of light colored transpar- significant that those fishes distinguished by these benefit of the owners, 'located as they are, impossible ent tissue which overlie a deeper and opaque region. extraordinary organs spend their entire lives at great of shedding any external light, defies speculation. The function of the former seems to be for the trans depths far below the point penetrated by the light Perhaps the most intensely luminous animal for its mission of the light, and the latter is both a reflector of day. size is the small marine ostracod crustacean, Oypridena and the fuel generator. For intimately connected with Of the land forms perhaps the most familiar phases hilgendor/i. So powerful is the light from this crea this area is a network of air tubes, nerve terminals of luminescence are to be found in the fireflies and ture that one part of the luminous gland in one billion and the glands which secrete the globules of luminous their larval young, the glow-worms. From the preced six hundred million parts of water will give 'a visible compounds. These compounds have been separated in ing statement it is evident that the "glow-worm" is glow to that medium. If a man possessed an organ the laboratory and have been found to consist princi- not a worm ; neither is its cousin the "glow-worm" of which gave the same proportionate volume and in· (Oontinued on page "10 )

egg yolk (see paper by me in Journal of Biological The range of latitude extended froll 42 ° N. to 53° S. Ohemistry, Vol. 23, p. 261, 1915 ). On the other hand, Nearly 50 per cent of the ionsobservat were made Correspondence yellow corn is very rich in xanthophyll with very little within the tropics. He is very particular in describing The editors are not responsible for statements. made carotin so that the feeding of yellow corn greatly en· what he calls the moon zodiacal light which he wit hances the color of egg yolks. Both carotinoids are nessed in the .tropics; He also witnessed what he in the correspondence column. Anonymous commu present apparently in green feeds so that the latter termed a j oint ' sun and moon zodiacal light. In his nications cannot be considered, but the names of cor readily increases the color of egg yolk when fed to report of one of these observations he says : "The respondents will be withheld when so desired. laying fowls. moon quartered today ( March 6, 1 854 ; lat. 25 ° 26' N., A curious physiological fact in connection with these long. 139 ° 42' E. ) . At half past 7 I was aSl1:onished relations is that the natural yellow coloring matter to see the zodiacal light, fully displayed. It was no White Yolks of Eggs of milk and butter is carotin and this carotin bears doubt a j oint sun and moon zodiacal light. . . . 'My similar relations to the feed of the cow that the xantho mind was perfectly satisfied that it ,was clearly a To the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : phyll of egg yolk does to the feed of the hen. In this zodiacal light. It differed from the ordinary zodiacal I hope you will pardon some further correspondence case, however, carrots greatly increase the color of light in not being brightest at its lowest end but was from me concerning pigments, but a note entitled butter, but yellow corn has no effect (see' papers by all the way down of a fairly uniform 'brightness. It "White Yolks of Eggs" in the May 14th issue of the me in Journal of Biological hemistry , VoL 17, pp. was quite distinct. The upper end was lost in the SCIENTIFIC A�IElUCAN has attracted my attention. It C 191-249, 1914) . 'moon's superior light. The night was very clear." struck me as most peculiar that it was necessary for Finally, the whole story of white yolk eggs is not Naval officers corroborated this and similar observa the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN to quote the German Umschau quite true after alL As far as being free from natural tions. As to my observation in southern Maryland on in regard to work by American investigators. The yellow pigment derived from the feed is concerned they the evening of February 21, . 1916, of , which I retain work which was cited was published by me in a series were white. The yolks of cooked eggs were perfectly a vivid recollection. The moon was three days ' past of three papers in the Journal of Biological Ohemistry, colorless, but the raw yolks contained a very slight opposition in right ascension 12 h. 9 m. and declination Vol. 39, pp. 299·377, 1919, and also in the Proceedings amount of yellow coloring matter which could be ex 5° ' 42' S. The fact of the light was unmistakable. The of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 5, pp. 582- tracted with suitable sOlve'n ts, so in reality from a sky was clo)ldless and the seeing remarkably good. 587, 1919. The experimental work was performed at strictly scientific point of view the yolks were not , 'I;he moon was the only source of light sufficient to the University of Missouri with which I was formerly absolutely colorless. This "trick" is, I fear, hardly produce the effect. Hence it seems quite appropriate to connected. attainable, for the hen apparently makes a little, al describe it as a lunar zodiacal light. I have noticed that scientific data sometimes gather though very little to be sure, of her o'wn egg yolk color· Baltimore, Md. W. E. GLANVILLE. inaccuracies in restatement a good deal like the pro ing. LEROY S. PALMER, Ph.D. verbial stone. Permit me to point out several such University, Minnesota. Substitutes for Wood in Papermaking errors in the article entitled "White Yolks of Eggs" which was evidently a translation from the German. To the Editor of the AMERICAN : The Lunar Zodiacal Light SCIENTIFIC The first error is inconsequential, but pertains to the In connection with my paper article in your issue of reference to myself and Professor Kempster as poultry To the Editor of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN : June 11th, may I point out that in considering sub' breeders. This may apply t� Professor Kempster, who My attention lias been called to an item, "Lunar stitutes for rags, wood and straw, it' is important to is Professor of Poultry Husbandry at the University of Zodiacal Light," in your issue of .T une 11, summarizing bear in mind, that, while many plants, grasses, reeds, Missouri. I have no objection to the title for myself, part of my report to the director of the aurora and etc., are capable of being utilized in the manufacture but I fear that the men actually in the profession zodiacal light section of the British Astronomical As of a satisfactory paper pulp, freight charges from would resent my being so considered. Another trivial sociation. The following comment by Mr� Gavin Burns, point of production to mill must be less than the error is the reference to the ear lobes of fowls as director of that section of the B. A. A., is quoted : "As freight charges on pulpwood ; a sufficient yearly growth earlaps. I am sure the poultry folks would not agree to the light of the full moon is only about one-millionth must be assured to operate a mill continuously ; and this terminology. A third error is more serious for it the intensity of sunlight it is difficult to believe that the cost of chemicals used in production must not, for involves a scientific fact. The natural yellow pigment the phenomenon described can be due to the light of example, exceed that involved in the pulping of straw ; of egg yolk is not carotin, but xanthophyll, the caroti the moon." while a sine qua non is that the yield of cel1ulose noid which is closely related to carotin and almost al Chaplain Jones, U.S.N., was a specialist in ,zodiacal fibers must amount to more than one-quarter of the ways associated with it in plants. It so happens, how light observations. His report of observations made total bulk of material treated. This at once rules out ever, that carrots contain very little xanthophyll, so during the U. S.·Japan Expedition (1853-1855 ) forms ' many of the hasty and ill-considered suggestions and little, indeed, that when carrots are fed to laying VoL III of the Expedition Report published in 1856, propositions that have been put forward. hens, there is practically no effect on t-he colO!" of the 'and contains 328 observations charted and described. New York. THOMAS J. KEENAN.

Pulling the Mississippi's Teeth gan can tal,e place. Therefore, we may ( Continued from page 60 ) with great probability determine by in ference just what takes place during the The wood work of the boat was als well � flash of the firefly's lantern. As the in r served. The water does not serIOusly , � � sect has stored in the glands of its 01' Ill ure the metal or wo den part s of a sunk � . . � gan a supply of both luciferin and luci ln I effects the s p ; It S the mud which bulk ferase in a combined form there is al of the d mage. Wrecks which are ot im- � � ways maintained a more 0'1' less stead y bedded II I the mud and sand surv ve de- i glow due to the oxidization o f the lu ci cOI position for many years. Duri g t e � � ferin in contact with the ordinary oxygen perIO ds hen snag work on the r ver �I ,: � S absorbed from the air and the oxy gen not pres lllg, the sna b ats occa l nally . � � � � ? I normally contained in the tissues. When ass ist private compam es II I the r Ulslllg of the moment of the flash occurs there is an river boats which have been s unk at sec- accelerated production of luciferase dur tions of the river adjacen t to the open ing the combustion of which it is r �pidJy channel. Such assistance is furnished at used up, and by a respiratory process the actual cost. air tubes flood the photogenic cells with Despite the great increase in labor a copious supply of oxygen, no doubt op. costs, Congress appropriates the same era ted under pressure. amount for snag removal from the Missis- Exhaustive tests with the bolometer sippi today as 30 years ago. The conse- and the spectroscope have shown that the quences are that the two snag boats which light of Photuris, unlike our artificial are supposed to patrol the river from St. illuminants , contain no heat rays and no Louis to New Orleans are not able to light rays extending into the infra-red or work a full season-the snagging season the ultra-violet. That is to say, it is usually lasts from July until March. Lack what is termed a "cold light" and that of funds is halting this essential work just the only light rays which are emitted are at a time when the Mississippi River is be- those which are visible to the eye. In ing used more than ever before. It is now this respect, as an illuminating device highly necessary to keep the channel clear the light of the firefly is tremendously and navigable and to do everything pos- greater in efficiency than any artifici ;l sible to promote the increased utilization light yet constructed. How great t his of this wonderful inland waterway. It efficiency is will be seen when the com would seem that Congress might allot a parative values of some of our modern H few thousand dollars more a year to this luminants are given. In a photometric meritorious cause. curve worked out some years ago it was Just to show that the money used inhe t found that the effiCiency of the c arbon past has been effectively expended, ' it may glow lamp was 0.43 per cent ; the tungsten be cite d that during a normal season, the lamp , 1.3 per cent ; whereas the two Government snag boats on the lower had an efficiency of 99.5 per cent. I t MiSSissippi will pull and destroy between evident then that our m ost efficient arti- 300 and 400 snags, the average weight of ficial light is not more than 4 per cent these obstacles being between 30 and 4 0 as efficient as that of the firefly. WEARING QUALITIES tons. In addition, they will break up any- A natural question here arises as to where from 10 to 20 drift heaps which-if whether the light of phosphorescent anie mals can i neglec ted-are inimical to navigatio n. The ever be artificially produ ced n a wa y t o make crews of the two boats in addition will it availa ble for domestic and industrial use. To dismiss with con cut between 200 and 10,000 trees which A good tool,' like a good frie nd, tempt the possibility of synthesizing ani fringe the banks and are liable to be un- mal light would ill become who dermined an d washed away by the river wears well. is as good Qne day as has seriously reviewed the' It and ultimately converted into dangerous of the past century. And confidently to snags. The conquest against snags in the anticipate that at no long distant date a nother. It will serve just as effici open channel is well in hand, at this time, this will be accomplished, would be and with sufficient funds to continue the neither vain in the man of science nor ently tomorrow as today. work it will be possible to keep the num- presumptuous in the layman. bel' of acidents due to snags down to a Williams' Superior Drop-Forged minimum. However, to neglect the work Reportin g the Life Story of Rails at this stage of the game due to lack of ( Continued, from page 66 ) funds is a costly, senseless and unneces and the latter can be swung in under Wre nches are such tools, for they sary error. The American public desires the head of a rail to grip it and to hold that Congress reduce expenses along sane the machine firmly in place while making and sensible lines. It does not wish our are ab�olutely dependable. Staunch a record. The present instrument uses legislators to rob Peter to pay Paul in the cards while the older machine traced style evidenced by the 1921 lack of ade a nd true , whe n m a n ufactured, they the lines on tin plates which were subse quate appropriation for the complete and quently inked and prints made therefrom. efficient removal of snags from he Mis- t stand up �ith sturdy strength Besides being heavy and otherwise ob sissippi. jectionable, the tin plates were expensive. against the hard strains of constant What Makes the Glow-Worm Finally, the Duel mechanism, with its ad Glow ? justable features, can be set to allow for service. T hey wear we ll. ( Continued from page 65 ) . wear. This insures the making of relia pally of two substances which are termed ble records at all times and greatly pro " luciferine" and "Iuciferase." longs the serviceable life of the device. 45 standard patterns, in about 1 000 It was formerly believed that since In the reading of wheels, whether car or phosphorescence took place on the oxidi locomotive, there is an auxiliary attach s i zes. A s k y o u r d e a le r. W r e n c h zation of oils in alcoholic solutions of ment called a punching frame, a triangu an alkali, that the material which was lar affair carrying three steel points. Boo k o n request. oxidized in photogenic organs were fat This is first fitted over the tread and droplets ; but since the separation of luci flange, and a hammer blow on each punch ferin and luciferase, neither of which can leaves an enduring mark on the rim of be reduced by such fat solvents as ether, the wheel. Next, an aluminum yoke o r benzol, etc., it is, of course, now known tire base is centered upon these three that such is not the case. Of the two indentations, and then the rail-section ma DROP - FORGINGS substances liciferin is the more stable. chine is secured t o this base. With this often cheaper than castin s It will withstand long continued boiling, done, it is an easy matter to reproduce g and will remain unimpaired in its light the outline of the wheel's tread and - far superior - always producing quality for months. Further flange. The cards employed for this more, after it is oxidized it is converted work are larger than those used in re into "oxyluciferin," and this latter prod cording rail sections, and they can be re uct can in turn be reconverted into Iuci peatedly inserted in the apparatus with ferin. Luciferin, however, will oxidize precision so that subsequent tracings can J. H. WILLIAMS ®. CO. with light production only in the pres be made thereon to illustrate the various "The Wrench Peopl." ence of luciferase. Ludferase, on the wearing ' stages of the wheel. Whenever BROO KLYN BUFFALO CH ICAGO other hand, is very unstable and deterio this is done the instrnment is set at the 28 Richards 51. 28 Vulcan 51. 1 028 W . 120lh 51. rates rapidly .. same spot on the wheel, as indicated by St. Catharla ••• O atarlo It will, of course, be obvious that the the permanent marks made by the punch presence of oxygen is necessary in order ing frame. I that luminescence in the photogenic or- On one face of every wheel there is a