284 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



eter is high. But gases pent up in the soil, in marshes, etc., will be most readily- 

 evolved when the barometer is low ! Rainy and windy weather is not unfre- 

 quently foretokened by the rise of bubbles of gas from the bottom of ponds and 

 marshes. We can readily understand, however, that a light produced by inflam- 

 mable gas might, if the supply was large and constant, hover over an extensive 

 marsh or graveyard. But in such cases it would not be one and the same por- 

 tion of luminous matter flitting up and down, but a succession of fresh bubbles, 

 jets, or puffs of gas becoming ignited in turn. This accords ill with the facts as 

 reported by observers ; they generally speak of a single continuing light. 



Another hypothesis refers the phenomenon to electricity. We always find 

 that the less any person knows about electricity the more easy he finds it to ac- 

 count for any unexplained facts by its agency. Luminous appearances of electric 

 origin are certainly well known, such as the " Castor and Pollux," which appears 

 at the extremities of the masts of ships during stormy weather. Similar lights 

 have been noticed, especially in mountainous regions, attaching themselves to 

 umbrellas, lances, alpenstocks, etc. But these phenomena seem essentially dis- 

 tinct from the true Ignis fatuus, which, as we have already said, is characteristic 

 of fine weather, and moves about instead of attaching itself to pointed objects. 



In all probability several distinct phenomena have been confounded under 

 the name of Ignis fatuus, and further careful observation is required for their re- 

 spective discrimination. Those persons who live in or visit regions where the 

 Wisp occurs might do good service by noting all the circumstances of each case 

 at the earliest possible opportunity. The nature of the soil, the barometric pres- 

 sure, temperature, the wind, and in short the entire character of the weather, 

 should be recorded, and an attempt should be made to take the spectrum of the 

 light. 



It appears that the mediaeval and popular notion of the Wisp — a conscious 

 and evil-disposed being — is again brought forward by persons of education. 

 "Miror," whom we have already quoted, whilst accepting the hydrogen phos- 

 phide hypothesis, asks further — "May not, however, Spirits of alow and mali- 

 cious order, bent on mischief, when they find a natural medium in the dark, un- 

 der circumstances favorable to their malice, make use of this gas, found in marshy 

 places, to suit their purpose ? Or may not an evil Spirit, fond of marshy places, 

 have the power to turn an Ignis fatuus, that has its rise from natural causes, into 

 a devious course for an evil purpose?" We reply that there is no satisfactory 

 evidence of purposiveness, good or evil, in the movements of the Wisp. — London 

 Journal of Science. 



