CASES OF LIGHTNING DISCHARGE, 253 
in front of them ; to the latter two a bright light seemed to be 
thrown in their faces and the loud report was instantaneous. 
thunder anl rain shortly after noon. It had afterwards been 
bright but stormy lookiuz ; and though clouds were gathering in 
the evenin ig, there was at that time no thunder or lightning. 
Shortly afterwards there was heavy thunder near, followed by 
a copious shower. A. K." 
Mr. Knight's second account also describes a form of dis- 
charge about which very little is known. It is unfortunate that 
no photograph was obtained, as it would seem from comments 
in a recent electrical journal that no photograph ever has been 
obtained of this phenomenon, and it has been customary to dis- 
credit statements as to its appearance. Mr. Knight's note йог 
from the more usual accounts, in which the ball of бге is said to 
run about before bursting, but is closely analogous to a case 
quoted by Dr. Oliver Lodge,* in which however the ball 
is described as of a reddish yellow colour, changing to 
vivid white. Mr. Knight’s accouut is as follows : —“ On the 14th 
October, 1898, there was a very severe thunder squall—strong 
wind, violent rain апі much thunder, not very distant. It came 
on suddenly, about 7 p.m., as we were going down to dinner; 
and as I was about to take my seat at the end of the table, facing 
the back of the house, I saw an explosion in the air, like that 
of a fireball or bomb, probably four or five feet above the ground, 
and there was a loud bang. The light appeared greenish white. 
There is no doubt that it was in the ba ck garden, as it was 
located there by some neighbours whose line E sight was at 
right angles with min 
Mr. Ridle керо also the two following cases of globular 
lightning, differing from that of Mr. Knight in that the pheno- 
mena occurred outside the storm. “Some few years ago, I was 
sitting in my verandah, about 7 p.m ; it was quite dark, and there 
was a thunderstorm going on over the Economic Garden. Sud. 
denly there was an intensely briliiant flash and instantaneous 
explosion close to the house. My back was towards the garden, 
* Lightning катя and Lightning Guards, Prof. О. J. Lodge, 
