PAIUY RINGS. «-» 



ance. Moreover the circular figure of thefe Phenomena Djffi'^^a^'^^.s^'jf 

 embarrailes llie eledrical hypothelis with a fecond difficulty ; theory, 

 for the (racls of difcoloui-ed grafs, actually produced by light- 

 ning, are but feldoni bent inlo rings as they more frequently 

 afTunie a zigzag, or elfe a ramified form, and are, I believe, 

 of but fliort duration ; which (hews, tbe roots of' the herbage 

 are not deftroyed, unlefs where the earth is torn up. The FuBgi not the 

 theory which attributes thefe circles of withered grafs ^o "„"j^/^^^"^ 

 the running of a fungus, has little or no foundation ; becaiife 

 thefe imperfeft plants, generally fpeaking, attach themfelves 

 to dead vegetables, confequently their prefence in fairy-rings 

 is nothing more than an appearance which is fubfequent to 

 khe deftruction of the herbage upon them. As for the lively Superior verdure 

 verdure of the grafs on the interior edges of thefe circles, ^^^.J^^'^J]"'^ 

 I believe it may be explained upon general principles, with- 

 out the agency of lightning or fungi. For if the herbage df 

 a patch of ground be deftroyed root and branch by a caufe 

 which does not remove the remains of it, the place will be 

 covered, in procefs of time, with a frefti crop of plants^ po(- 

 feding fuperior luxuriancy and verdure. The caufes of this Dead plants, &'c. 

 vigorous vegetation appear to be the following; the 'i^ad"^^^^^^ '^ 

 roots and ftems rot and manure the foil which produced ' 



them : this fource of fertility receives an additional fupply 

 fiom a fucceffion of fungi', which grow and decay on the 

 furface of the ground, as well as from the excrement and 

 exuvia of the grubs, which take up their abode among the 

 withered roots; laftly, the foil is rendered more porous by Tbe air in- 



the decay of the vegetable remains, and thereby becomes ^'■^" vegeta- 

 ■' ° , , ■' tion by acting 



more permeable to the air, which increafes its fertility not a on the roots. 



little. The laft polition feems to be confirmed by the cir- 



cumftance of plants thriving better in unglazed, than in 



glazed flower pots. Tbe followiJig fa&s rnay be adduced pmofs of the 



in Gorroboration of what has been here advanced. A fmall piece preceding 



of ground was covered,, in June, with common fait, which had 



been rubbed upon the corps of a drowned man ; the herbage 



of this place died in a tfcort time ; but was fucceeded tha 



next furamer by a new crop, the verdivre of which diftinguiihed 



it for fome years from the fttrrounding grafs. As common 



fait is efieemed a manure, perhaps the following inftance 



will be called preferable to. the former. Many woods in 



'his country, efpecially thofe- about Windermere, are en; 



B^ d(ivv?i 



