with the peculiar appearance of a very white
shining cloud, that lay remarkably close to the ground. The sun
was nearly setting, but shone extremely bright. I walked up to
the cloud, and my shadow was projected into it; when a very
unexpected and beautiful scene was presented to my view. The
head of my shadow was surrounded, at some distance, by a circle
of various colours; whose centre appeared to be near the
situation of the eye, and whose circumference extended to the
shoulders. The circle was complete, except what the shadow of my
body intercepted. It resembled, very exactly, what in pictures
is termed a _glory_, around the head of our Saviour and of
saints: not, indeed, that luminous radiance which is painted
close to the head, but an arch of concentric colours. As I
walked forward, this _glory_ approached or retired, just as the
inequality of the ground shortened or lengthened my shadow."

A plate "by the writer's friend, Mr. Falconer," accompanies the paper.

In my copy of the _Transactions_, the following MS. note is attached to
this paper:

"See Juan's and De Ulloa's _Voyage to South America_, book vi.
ch. ix., where phaenomena, nearly similar, are described."

I. H. M.

_Lowbell_ (Vol. vii., pp. 181. 272.).--This is also surely a Scotch
word, _low_ meaning a light, a flame.

"A smith's hause is aye lowin."--_Scots. Prov._

R. S. N.

_Burn at Croydon_ (Vol. vii., p. 283.).--This seems to be of the same
nature as the "nailburns" mentioned by Halliwell (_Arch. Dict._). In
Lambarde's _Perambulation of Kent_, p. 221., 2nd edit., mention is made
of a stream running under ground. But it seems very difficult to account
for these phenomena, and any geologist who would give a satisfactory
explanation of these _burns_, _nailburns_, subterraneous streams, and
those which in Lincolnshire are termed "blow wells," would confer a
favour on several of your readers.

E. G. R.

* * * * *{394}

MISCELLANEOUS.

NOTES ON BOOKS, ETC.

Our learned, grave, and potent cotemporary, _The Quarterly Review_, has,
in the number just issued, a very pleasant gossiping article on _The Old
Countess of Desmond_. The writer, who pays "N. & Q." a passing
compliment for which we are obliged, although he very clearly
establishes the fact of the existence of a Countess of Desmond, who was
well known and remarkable for her _extr