62 METEOROLOGICAL 
rain on the 10th of September. He took shelter 
in the Chiteau de Fosdinovo (in the province of 
Massa-Carrara, in Italy), and was standing at a 
window on the ground-floor, when a bright light 
appeared upon the pavement. This hght, which 
in colour appeared to be white and blue, was very 
unsteady or vibrating, but had no progressive 
motion ; it disappeared as it had made its appear- 
ance, that is, suddenly, but not until it had ac- 
quired a great size. The moment it vanished, 
Maffei felt a shght itching on his shoulder, a little 
plaster fell from the ceiling of the room, and a 
cracking noise was heard, very different from that 
of thunder. 
A flame which rose from the ground and 
maintained itself at three feet from the floor of 
the church St. Michel, at Dijon, was noticed by 
the Abbé Richard, on the 2nd July, 1750. This 
flame rose -afterwards to twelve or fifteen feet in 
height, increased considerably in volume, and dis- 
appeared near the organ of the church with a loud 
explosion. 
These phenomena are evidently allied to atmo- 
spheric electricity, as they manifest themselves 
during storms; but I’. Arago distinctly states 
(‘Annuaire,’ 1838, p. 371): “it appears that great 
luminous meteors, similar to lhghtning in their 
nature, show themselves sometimes at the surface 
of the globe, even when the sky does not appear 
