( io6 ) 
and woo the Females ; but I never obferved them to 
fly, together in fo great Numbers, as to make a Light 
equal to an fgnh Fatuus. And I was fo near, that 
had it been the Shining of Gloworms, I mufl: have 
fecn it in little diftind Spots of Light ; but it was one 
continuous Body of Light. 
Having thus related my own Obfervations of the 
Igfies Fatu/j I (hall next give an Account of the 
Obfervations which Sir I^bo, Dereham procured for 
me in Italy^ in the following Letter of Dr. Giacomo 
Bartholomeo Beccarl^ F. R S. to Sir Dereham^ 
F. R. S. dated at Bologna^ OBoh. 23, 1728, and 
tranflated from the It^lan^ by the late Dr. Job, 
Cafpar Scheuchzer, Which Letter is in thefe Words. 
’’TP' IS purely in Obedience to your Commands, 
X by Dr. Eujachto Manfredly I fend you 
the following Obfervations on the Ignes Fatui, 
What I am now going to offer to you concerning 
thefe fiery Appearances, is the Refult of feveral 
Converfations 1 had upon this Subjed. with feveral 
experienced Travellers, Men of Learning and Re- 
putation, whofe Sincerity I had no Reafon to mif- 
truft. For my own farther Satisfadion, ever fince I 
received your Commands, I have made it ray Bufinefs 
to fpeak with as many as I could light of, with fuch 
as travelled much in the Mountains, and with others 
that obferved them in Plains, on Purpofe to fee whe- 
ther or no the Difference of the Place made any fen- 
fible Difference in the Appearance. I find upon the 
Whole, that they are pretty common in all the Ter- 
ritory of Bologna, To begin with the Plains, they 
are very frequently obferved there , the Country Peo- 
ple 
