THE IGNIS-FATUUS, OR WILL-O'-THE-WISP. 
In marshy and boggy places a light is sometimes seen to hover over 
the ground by night, appearing from a distance like a taper gleaming 
from some cottage window. The light is not stationary, and should any 
incautious traveller approach it, it moves before him, and thus.leads him 
into bogs and marshes where he is in danger of perishing. 
This appearance is called Ignis-fatuus, or vain, or wild fire. It is 
also called Will-o'-the-Wisp and Jack-o' -Lantern, by the country peo- 
ple, these being the names of a malignant spirit to whom the appearance 
was formerly attributed. Of late years the cause seems to have been 
well ascertained to be the lighting up of an inflammable gas produced by 
decaying animal and vegetable matter in bogs, marshes, and stagnant 
pools. It is found that when damp soils are drained and cultivated the 
Will-o'-the-Wisp disappears. Such has been the case with the exten- 
sive bogs and marshes which formerly occupied a large portion of the 
counties of Northampton, Huntingdon, Cambridge, Lincoln, Norfolk, 
and Suffolk. 
In crossing the wild moors near the place where the counties of Nor- 
thumberland and Cumberland join, the Will-o'-the-Wisp has often 
been seen. Two gentlemen were once riding over these moors when 
they were surprised about ten o'clock at night, by the sudden appear- 
ance of a light within fifteen yards of the road side. It was about the 
size of the hand, of an oval well-defined shape, and was more like a 
bright white cloud than a flame. It was seen in a very wet place where 
peat-moss had been dug out, leaving what are called "peat-pots," which 
soon fill with water and nourish various plants, which in their turn are 
changed into peat. The light was about three feet from the ground, 
and hovered for a time over the peat-pots, then mOved to the distance 
of about fifty yards, and suddenly went out. 
Major Blesson, of Berlin, a few years ago, made some experiments on 
this subject in a marshy valley in the forest of Gubitz. Bubbles of gas 
were observed to rise from the water of the marsh in the day time, and 
by night blue flames were playing over its surface. On visiting the spot 
by night the flames retired as Major Blesson advanced, the motion of 
the air driving the burning gas before him. On remaining perfectly 
still, the flames returned, and he attempted to light a piece of paper by 
them ; but the current of air produced by his breath kept the flames at 
too great a distance. On turning away his head, however, and holding 
up a screen of cloth, he was able to set fire to a narrow strip of paper. 
He also succeeded in putting out the flame by driving it before him to a 
part of the ground where no gas was produced, then applying a flame to 
the surface whence the gas bubbles issued, a kind of explosion was heard 
on the surface of the marsh ; a red light was seen, which diminished to a 
blue flame about three feet high. This continued to burn with the un- 
steady motion observed in the Will-o'-the-Wisp. As the morning ap- 
proached all the flames became pale, and seemed to approach nearer and 
nearer to the earth, till they at last faded from the sight. Major Blesson 
thinks that when once the thin stream of inflammable air is set on fire, it 
continues to burn by day as well as by night, but the light is so pale that 
it cannot be seen by day. 
The Will-o'-the-Wisp has been accounted for in various ways, but 
none of them appear to be so satisfactory as the above. 
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