ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PHOSPHORI. 123 



thorn ; for the same reason also it probably had its Latin name 

 ignis fatuus. 



This kind of light is said to be frequent about burying places 

 and dung-hills. Some countries are also remarkable for it, as 

 about Bologna, in Italy ; and some parts of Spain and Ethiopia. 

 We have noticed and endeavoured to account for this phenomenon 

 already : but as the following curious example of it has escaped us, 

 we will notice it now. It is given by Doctor Shaw, in his Travels 

 to the Holy Land. 



It appeared in the valleys of mount Ephraim, and attended him 

 and his company for more than an hour. Sometimes it would 

 appear globular, or in the shape of the flame of a candle ; at 

 others it would spread to such a degree as to involve the whole 

 company in a pale inoffensive light, then contract itself, and sud- 

 denly disappear; but in less than a minute would appear again; 

 sometimes running swiftly along, it would expand itself at certain, 

 intervals, over more than two or three acres of the adjacent moun- 

 tains. The atmosphere, from the beginning of the evening, had 

 been remarkably thick and hazy; and the dew, as they felt it on 

 the bridles of their horses, was very clammy and unctuous. 



We have also already observed that lights resembling the ignis 

 fatuus are sometimes to be met with at sea, skipping about the masts 

 and rigging of ships; and Dr. Shaw informs us, that he has seen these 

 in such weather as that just mentioned, when he saw the ignis fatuus 

 in Palestine. Similar appearances have been observed in various 

 other situations ; and we are told of one which appeared about the 

 bed of a woman in Milan, surrounding it, as well as her body, en. 

 tirely. This light fled from the hand which approached it; but was 

 at length entirely dispersed by the motion of the air. 



Philosophy of Spontaneous Illumination. 

 IT is a fact now fully ascertained and rendered incontestable, 

 that light has a considerable influence upon all animal and vege- 

 table living substances, exposed to its influence: that all imbibe it 

 in some degree, and many rapidly and voraciously. Most of the 

 discous dowers, by some power unknown to us, follow the sun in 

 his course. They attend him to his evening retreat, and meet his 

 rising lustre in the morning with the same unerring law. If a 

 plant also is shut up in a dark room, and a small hole is after, 

 wards opened by which the light of the sun may enter, the plant 

 will turn towards that hole, and even alter its own shape in order 



