FAIRY RINGS. 319 



their shape, and shift their situation continually, discovering them- 

 selves now in circles, now in segments, and sometimes in irregular 

 patches and spots. Wherever they obtain, PUFF-BALLS ABOUND ; 

 the seeds of which were doubtless brought in the turf." 



[Nat. Hist. Vol. II. p. 25Q. 



This puff-ball has been very plausibly stated, and nearly ascer- 

 tained, by Dr. Withering, to be that of the agaric we have above 

 referred to. An able writer in the Monthly Magazine, for April, 

 1803, whilst he embraces this latter opinion, states several very 

 forcible reasons against the electrical hypothesis. 



" However plausible/' says he, " this idea (that of electricity) 

 may seem to the theoretical philosopher, it is found by the observant 

 naturalist to be inadequate to the explication of the phenomenon. 

 Without intending to enter into any kind of controversy upon this 

 subject, which, doubtless, will be thought by some readers already 

 to have occupied too many pages of the most popular miscellanies, 

 allow me to mention a few facts which appear irreconcilable with 

 the above-mentioned theory. 



" Moisture is stated as requisite for the attraction of lightning to 

 turf but fairy-rings are discoverable in situations which have no 

 pretensions to moisture. 



" It is next observed, that the cloud attracted by moisture, will 

 become cylindrical, or conical ; and consequently the stream of elec- 

 tricity descending on the turf, by its external ring will there form the 

 circular mark vulgarly called a fairy-ring ; but instead of these marks 

 being uuiformly circular, which they would be from such a cause, 

 they, as Mr. White accurately states, vary their shape, and shift 

 situation continually, discovering themselves now in circles/ (though 

 seldom entire) * now in segments, and sometimes in irregular 

 patches and spots.' 



The gradual shifting of situation furnishes another objection to the 

 phenomenon's being occasioned by lightning ; as does the not mere 

 permanency, or decrease, or dying out, of such marks, but the an- 

 nual increase of size which may be frequently noticed in some ; and 

 the fact that fairy-rings originate in small patches, militates strongly 

 against such a theory. 



" It is urged on the above hypothesis, that in the ring3 formed by 

 lightning the turf is thereby calcined but it must occur to every one 



