26 



On December 1st of the same year, and many subsequent 

 dates, It was seen again, and observed to alight on the ground and 

 disappear in a plantation. Seen within a few yards it had two 

 intensely bright spots on its head, and was uttering the quickly 

 repeated ' Chuck, Chuck' of the White Owl. 



The author expresses the belief that most of the tales respecting 

 " Will-o'-the-Wisp," "Corpse Candles," and "Lantern-Men," are 

 the result of occasional luminosity assumed by birds of nocturnal 

 habits that frequently fly over marshy ground in search of prey. 

 This luminosity is probably accounted for by the feathers being 

 smeared with putrescent matter from the hollow trees or other 

 cavities in which the birds pass the day. 



Though not truly in any way connected with the Will-o'- 

 the-Wisp as we understand it, this account illustrates the way 

 in which any abnormal and apparently inexplicable moving 

 light is at once assumed to be an exhibition of this phenomenon. 



So far most of the accounts quoted above relate to observations 

 recorded a century or so ago, thus supporting the (Kcford Dictiunary 

 in its statement that ' formerly it seems to have been a common 

 phenomenon, but is now exceedingly rare.' But about six years 

 ago, some correspondence appeared in the Observer on this 

 subject. It was initiated by a letter from a Dr. Herbert Snow='= 

 asking whether there is any real foundation for the superstition 

 popularly denominated Will-o'-the-Wisp, also whether the belief 

 still persists in tangible form, or has been exploded by education. 

 The writer then refers to Brewer's Guide to Science, of his young 

 days, which stated that the Jack-o'-Lantern was produced by 

 phosphoretted hydrogen given off by decomposing matter in the 

 marshes. He adds that he believes modern science no longer 

 proffers this explanation. 



It will be of interest to examine some of the replies to this letter 

 and see how they accord with the theories we have already con- 

 sidered. 



A Lymington correspondent says " I am well acquainted with 

 a man who used to work for me, and who used to tell me about Jack- 

 o'-Lantern quite thirty years ago ; he was accustomed to be in the 

 Forest all night. He found that the months of October and 

 November, when the nights, for the time of year, were rather warm, 

 were the times the lights were most frequent. About a mile from 



Observer, December 19tb, 1915. 



