156 LIFE OF A TREE. 
Duke of Buckingham at Stowe, on the evening 
of Friday, September 4, 1855, during a storm 
of thunder and lightning accompanied by heavy 
rain, the leaves of the flower called @nothera ma- 
crocarpa, a bed of which was in the garden im- 
mediately opposite the windows of the Manu- 
script Library, were observed to be brilliantly 
illuminated with phosphoric light. During the 
intervals of the flashes of lightning, the night was 
exceedingly dark, and nothing else could be dis- 
tinguished in the gloom, except the bright light 
upon the leaves of these flowers. The luminous 
appearance continued uninterruptedly for a con- 
siderable length of time, but did not appear to 
resemble any electric effect.” 
A more wonderful example than either of dings 
' was brought before the notice of the Asiatic 
Society of London. The luminous plant was 
discovered near the foot of the hills in the 
Madura district in Hindostan, by a native, who, 
having been compelled by rain to take shelter 
under a mass of wood in the jungle, was astonished 
to find all the grass in the vicinity blazing with a 
pale phosphorescent light. Even the dead frag- 
ment presented to the Society, although not 
