cted by the cane, was
passing from the cloud through my body, and through the horse, into the
ground, I instantly turned it downwards. At the time I did not wait to
consider that I was in the hollow of the valley between one of the highest
of the Pentlands and Arthur's Seat, and that there were higher objects
than myself, and scattered trees in the neighbourhood far more likely to
act upon the cloud, or be exposed to its influence. A short time after
this happened, I mentioned the circumstance of the flame to a friend. He
told me, in return, that once, when riding between Hawick and Jedburgh,
during a dark and stormy night, he was greatly annoyed, for most part of
the way, by two flames, like candles, that appeared to issue from his
horse's ears. He certainly is as little likely to be affected by
superstition as most men; but never before having heard of such a
circumstance, and the idea of electricity not then occurring to his mind,
he could not help thinking that Will o' the wisp and he, hoping it was
nothing worse, had got into rather too close intimacy.

Another Correspondent says this luminous "phenomenon may be often seen on
a gravel walk upon a moist autumnal evening. It arises from something of a
slimy nature emitted by the Scolopendra electrica (one of the animals
vulgarly called centipedes), which is luminous. As the animal crawls, it
leaves a long train of phosphoric light behind it on the ground, which is
often mistaken for the presence of a glow-worm. In all probability, one of
these animals had recently crawled over the head of the horse, or rather,
might be still crawling there, and the person who saw it unconsciously
watched its progress."

_The Short Sunfish_

appears to be the name of the "Curious Fish," described by our
indefatigable Correspondent, W.G.C., in _The Mirror_, vol. xviii. p.168,
and quoted by the Editor; he mentioned the occurrence of this fish to Mr.
Yarrell, who has furnished a list of references to most of the British
authors by whom it has either been described or figured. (See the Magazine,
p. 316.)

By the way, Bishop Heber mentions a sun-fish, or, as it is popularly
called _Devil-fish_: it is very large and nearly circular, with vivid
colours about it, and it swims by lashing the water with its tail exactly
on a level with the surface.

_The Char_.

The char (_S_almo alpinus _L_.) is found in several of the deep and rocky
lakes of England: viz. Coniston in Lancashire, Winder