A 



JOURNAL 



OF 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



JANUARY, 1806. 



ARTICLE I. 



On the Caufe of Fairy Rings. %John Gough, E/q. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON, 

 SIR, Middlejhaiv, Decauher 1 , 1805. 



X OU publiftied in the firft page of your ninth volume in Introduftojy 

 odavo, a letter to me from the Rev. Jonathan Wilfon, vicar '^'"^^'^ ^* 

 of Biddulph, in which the appearance of a patch of grouod 

 recently blafled and torn up by hghtning was defcribed. 

 The obfervations of this ingenious and accurate gentleman 

 promifed to throw light on the natural hiflory of fairy-rings, 

 provided they were continued, and in this expedlalion, I took 

 the liberty in a note fubjoined to the copy of his letter printed 

 by you, to requeft his future remarks on the fubje6t, drawn 

 from repeated infpeftion of the place afFe6ted by the light- 

 ning. The following is an extra6l of a letter from Mr. Wilfon, 

 containing his obfervations relative to the fubfequent ap- 

 pearances of the patch, with fome thoughts which are cer- 

 tainly an improvement in one theory of fairy-rings, that has 

 received the patronage of fome writers. This letter is dated 

 November 1, 1805, and after fome prefatory matter, pro- 

 ceeds thus, 

 Vol,. XIII.—Januaky, ISOo. B '« la 



