25 



" In the course of the same year I visited a place at Walkeuried, 

 in the Hartz, where these lights are said always to occur; they were 

 very much like those of the Neumark, and I collected some of the 

 gas in a flask. On the day after, I found by experiment that it 

 occasioned cloudiness in lime-water, a proof of its containing 

 carbonic acid. 



" I observed accidentally another phenomenon allied to this, 

 at the Porta Westphalica, near Minden. On August 8rd, 1814, 

 we played off a firework from the summit to which we had ascended 

 durmg the dark, and where no ignis fatuus was visible. But 

 scarcely had we fired off the rocket, when a number of small red 

 flames were observed around us, below the summit, which, however, 

 speedily extinguished — to be succeeded by others on the firing of 

 the next rocket. 



" These facts induced me to separate the ignes fatui from the 

 luminous meteors, and to free them from all connexion with 

 electricity. They are of a chemical nature, and become inflamed 

 on coming in contact with the atmosphere, owing to the nature of 

 their constitution. 



" I think it highly probable that the fires that sometimes break 

 out in forests are caused by these lights." 



It is I think fairly evident that observations such as these confirm 

 the popular pseudo-scientific explanation of the theoretical causes 

 of the Will-o'-the-Wisp, but they do not at all agree with the 

 accounts given above in support of the insect origin of this 

 mysterious light ; in tact it is clear that they relate to a phenomenon 

 totally difterent in nature, though confused under the same name. 

 It is to be noted that all these occurrences took place in Germany ; 

 there is no reason why similar exhibitions should not be found in 

 this country, but I do not know of any such accounts, though iron- 

 impregnated marshes are not uncommon. 



Yet another explanation is offered by Mr. R. J. W. Purdy, in 

 the Transactions of the iVor/'o/Zr aiul Noncich Naturalists' Socirti/, vol. 

 viii. (ante), p. 517. The light was first seen on February 3rd, 1907, 

 moving horizontally backwards and forwards over a distance of 

 several hundred yards. It rose in the air to the height of forty 

 feet or more, then descended again, and went through the same 

 evolution many times. The light was slightly reddish in the centre, 

 and resembled a carriage lamp, for which it was at first mistaken. 

 It was observed for about twenty minutes, but the narrator was 

 quite at a loss to ascertain its cause. 



