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Show Phosphorus Not Basis of Firefly Brilliancy Flies blaze, worms glow, fish flash all, so scientists say, because of a substance called luciferin. About this time of year fireflies may be seen nearly near-ly every night over dark fields. Each insect appears to give a brief blaze of light at intervals whence its name. There are some forty well-known well-known kinds of living creatures which possess this light-flashing power, including in-cluding the glowworms and various fish. Such fish and insects have been called "phosphorescent," but this is incorrect. The element of phosphorus does not enter into this natural light at all. Luciferin is the substance in-' volved. The word is patterned after Lucifer, the name of the morning star, which, according to Webster's New International dictionary, is a Latin word meaning "bringing light." The natural light found in fireflies, fish, and glowworms is many times more efficient than the light manufactured by man. |