a kind of light, supposed to be of an electric nature, appearing frequently in mines, marshy places, and near stagnating waters. It was formerly thought, and is still by the superstitious believed, to have something ominous in its nature, and to prefigure death and other misfortunes. There have been instances of people being decoyed by these lights into marshy places, where they have perished; whence the names of Ignis-fatua, Will-with-a-wisp, and Jack-with-a-lantern, as if this appearance were an evil spirit which took delight in doing mischief of that kind. The general opinion is, that this light is owing to the decomposition of animal or vegetable matter,