Jar Superstitions.. It is said to be chiefly seen in Summer Nights, frequenting Meadows, Marshes, and other moist Places. It has been thought by some to arise from a viscous Exhalation, which being kindled in the Air, reflects a Sort of thin Flame in the Dark without any sensible Heat. It is often found flying along Rivers and Hedges, because, as it is conjectured, it meets there with a Stream of Air to direct it.

Philosophers are much divided in their Solution of this Phenomenon. Sir Isaac Newton says it is a Vapour shining without Heat, and that there is the same Difference between this Vapour and Flame, as between rotten Wood shining without Heat and burning Coals of Fire.

Others suppose it to be some nocturnal flying Insect: Indeed they have gone so. many different

&c. because in those Places there is a certain Flux of Air: It fol lows one that follows it, because the Air does so.

It is called Ignis Fatuus, or foolish Fire, because it only feareth Fools. Hence is it when Men are led away with some idle Fancy of Conceit, we use to say an Ignis Fatuus hath done it. Blount in Verbo.

Wisp properly signifies a little Twist of Straw, for the Purpose of easing the Head under the Pressure of some heavy Burthen. (It is corrupted into Weeze in the vulgar Dialect of Newcastle) as also a Handful of Straw, folded up a little to wipe any Thing with. Thus in that very curious and scarce Poem, the Visions of Pierce Plowman:

"And wished it had been wiped with a Wisp of Firses." Pass. 5. It implies in the Name of this Phenomenon a Kind of StrawTorch. Thus Junius in Verbo: " Frisius Wispien etiamnum est ar"dentes straminis fasciculos in altum tollere."

These vulgar Names are undoubtedly derived from its Appearance, as if Will, Jack or Kit, some Country Fellows, were going about with lighted Straw-Torches in their Hands.

Ways

Ways in pursuit of this Wanderer, that, according to the popular Notion of its conducting into Bogs and other Precipices, some of them must have been misled and bewildered by it.-We may follow them however so far as we please in this Paper Pursuit without any Danger.

Meriana has given us an Account of the famous Indian Lanthorn Fly, published amongst her Insects at Surinam. It has a Hood, or Bladder on its Head, which gives a light like a Lanthorn in the Night, but by Day-light is clear and transparent, curiously adorned with Stripes of Red or Green Colour.One may read Writing of tolerable large Character by it at Night. The Creature, it is said, can contract or dilate the Hood or Bladder over its Head at Pleasure. They hide all their Light when taken, but when at Liberty afford it plentifully.

It inclines one to think that the Appearance under Consideration is no more than the shining of some Night-flying Insect, when we are informed, that they give Proof as it were of Sense, by avoiding Objects-that they often go in a Direction contrary to the Wind-that they often seem extinct, and then shine again. Their passing along a few Feet above the Ground or Surface of the Water,

1

agrees with the Motion of some Insect in quest of Prey; as also their settling on a Sudden, and rising again immediately*.

Some

* I subjoin what will perhaps be thought a curious Extract concerning

Some indeed have affirmed that Ignes Fatui are never seen but in Salt Marshes, or other boggy Places. On the other Hand it is proved that they have been seen flying over Fields, Heaths, and other dry Places.

I am informed in Boreman's second Volume of his Description of a great Variety of Animals, Vegetables, &c. &c. that a respectable Person in Hertfordshire, presuming upon his Knowledge of the Grounds about his House, was tempted one dark Night to follow one of these Lights, which he saw flying over a Piece of fallow Ground.-It led him over a plowed Field, flying and twisting about from

cerning the Appearance commonly called a Falling Star, from Dr. Charlton's Paradoxes--" It is, says he, the Nocturnal Pollu"tion of some plethorical and wanton Star, or rather Excrement "blown from the Nostrils of some Rheumatic Planet, falling upon "Plains and Sheep Pastures, of an obscure Red or brown Tawney; "in Consistence like a Gelly and so trembling if touched, &c."

The Thoughts in the above Passage are perhaps the quaintest that can be found in any Language.

Haggs, says Blount, are said to be made of Sweat, or some other Vapour issuing out of the Head; a not unusual Sight among us when we ride by Night in the Summer-time: They are extinguished like Flames by shaking the Horse' Manes. But I believe rather it is only a Vapour reflecting Light, but fat and sturdy, compacted about the Manes of Horses or Men's Hair. Vide Blount in Verbo.

* At Astley, seven Miles from Worcester, three Gentlemen saw one of these Appearances in a Garden about Nine o'Clock in a dark Night.-At first they imagined it to be some Country Fellow with a Lanthorn, till approaching within about six Yards, it suddenly disappeared. It became visible again in a dry Field thirty or forty Yards off-it disappeared as suddenly a second Time, and was seen again a hundred Yards off. Whether it passed over the Hedge, or went through it, could not be observed, for it disappeared as it passed from Field to Field.

At another Time when one approached within ten or twelve Yards, it seemed to pack off as in a fright,

Place

Place to Place-sometimes it would suddenly disappear, and as suddenly appear again.-It once made directly to a Hedge, when it came near, it mounted over, and he lost Sight, after a full Hour's Chace. In his return to his House, he saw it again,

but was too fatigued to think of renewing the Pursuit. This Light is said also to have been observed to stand still as well as to move, and sometimes seemed fixed on the Surface of the Water.-We are informed that in Italy, two Kinds of these Lights have been discovered; one on the Mountains, the other on the Plains.-The common People call them Cularsi, because they look upon them as Birds, the Belly and other Parts of which are resplendent like the Pyraustee, or Fire-Flies.

Mr. Bradley, F. R. S. supposes the Will with the Wisp to be no more than a Group of small enlightened Insects.

Mr. Fr. Willoughby and Mr. Ray are of Opinion, that the Ignis Fatuus is nothing but the shining of some Night-flying Insect.-Dr. Derham was of Opinion, they were fired Vapours.*

After having summoned such respectable Wit

* There is a Fire, some Times seen flying in the Night, like a Dragon: (who has seen a Dragon that may with Propriety speak to the Resemblance?) It is called a Fire-Drake. Common People think it a Spirit that keeps some Treasure hid, but Philosophers affirm it to be a great unequal Exhalation inflamed between two Clouds, the one hot, the other cold, (which is the Reason that it also smokes) the middle Past whereof according to the Proportion of the hot Cloud, being greater than the Rest, makes it seem like a Belly, and both Ends like a Head and Tail. See Blount.

nesses

nesses in the Cause under Consideration, and having found that their Depositions by no means agree, I shall not presume to sum up the Evidence or pronounce Sentence.

We leave therefore the Decision of the Controversy to future Discoveries in Natural History, and to the Determination of succeeding Times.

OF THE BORROWED DAYS.

THERE is an old Proverb preserved in Ray's Collection.

April, borrows three Days of March and they are ill.”

April, is pronounced with an Emphasis on the last Syllable, and so it is made into a Kind of Rhyme.

I have taken Notice of this, because I find in the antient Calendar of the Church of Rome, to which I have so often referred, the following Observations on the 31st of March.

"The rustic Fable cocnerning the Nature of the Month." "The rustic Names of six Days, which shall follow in