Tommy Brown, age 10, of Bossier City, La., for his question:

 What is fox fireg

We notice this eerie glow mostly at night and usually in lonely places. Perhaps this is why it has such a spooky reputation. Actually, however, fox fire is nothing out of the ordinary at all. It is caused by the certain chemicals present in some fungi and decay bacteria. These little creatures glow with their own light day and night. We do not notice them during the day because their weak light is blotted out by the sunlight.

If fox fire spooks you, you may feel better if you put a scientific name to its cause. One of the most common light giving fungi is named Armillaria mellea. Chances are, the spooky glow is caused by nothing more frightening than a colony of these little plants.