f the relatively harmless form
known as red phosphorus. The first commercial application of this form
was made in about 1850.

An early ingenious device consisted of a piece of phosphorus contained
in a tube. A piston fitted snugly into the tube, by means of which the
air could be compressed and the phosphorus ignited. Sulphur matches were
ignited from the burning tinder, the latter being fired by flint and
steel. In 1828 another form of match consisted of a glass tube
containing sulphuric acid and surrounded by a mixture of chlorate of
potash and sugar. A pair of nippers was supplied with each box of these
"matches," by means of which the tip of the glass tube could be broken
off. This liberated the acid, which upon mixing with the other
ingredients set fire to them. To this contrivance a roll of paper was
attached which was ignited by the burning chemicals.

The lucifer or friction matches appeared in about 1827, but successful
phosphorus matches were first made in about 1833. The so-called safety
match of the present time was invented in the year 1855. To-day, the
total daily output of matches reaches millions and perhaps billions.
Automatic machinery is employed in preparing the splints of wood and in
dipping them into molten paraffin wax and finally into the igniting
composition.

During recent years the principle of the tinder-box has been revived in
a device in which sparks are produced by rubbing the mineral cerite (a
hydrous silicate of cerium and allied metals) against steel. These
sparks ignite a gas-jet or a wick soaked in a highly inflammable liquid
such as gasolene or alcohol. This device is a tinder-box of the modern
scientific age.

Naturally with the advent of electricity, electrical sparks came into
use for lighting gas-jets and mantles and in isolated instances they
have served as light-sources. Doubtless, every one is familiar with the
parlor stunt of igniting a gas-jet from the discharge from the
finger-tips of static electricity accumulated by shuffling the feet
across the floor-rug.

Although many of these methods and devices have been used primarily for
making fire, they have served as emergency or momentary light-sources.
In the outskirts of civilization some of them are employed at the
present time and various modern light-sources require a method of
ignition.

III

PRIMITIVE LIGHT-SOURCES

Many are familiar with the light of the firefly or of its larvae, the
glow-worm, but