300 On Stones which have fallen from the Atmosphere^ 



UQXSi as had before been done, the greatest philosophers 

 ts'-ere desu-ous that it should be carefully studied, fully con- 

 firmed, and accurately described. With this view C. Izara 

 composed his Lithnlogie Atmosphdriquey which was soon 

 presented to the National Institute. In this inteicsting 

 ■A-'drk, the lirst ever written on the subject, arc found a 

 multitude of similar facts having all the charaetti's of a'u- 

 thenticitv ; and all the opinions hiUieno expressed, both in 

 regard to the existence and causes of the phaenomenon, arc 

 clearly detailed and discussed. 



At the time when we were most occupied with this new 

 problem of natural philosophy, and v.hile, uncertain in re- 

 gard to its existence, we were discussing the authenticity of 

 tlie accounts gi^'en of it by the antieuts and niodcihs, the 

 inhabitants ot'^Laigle and of a vast extent of surrounding 

 distiuct were witnesses of the pho?.nomenon ; it appeared 

 over their heads on the 26th of April, with circumstances 

 tapable of striking with terror and astonishment. 



Section I. 



Desmptton and Anahjds of the Stones which fell at Laigle, 

 in the Departinent of I'Orne, on the 2Gth of April 1S03. 



From all the letters I received, and which I successively 

 communicated to the Institute, of which I may mention as 

 the most authentic those of our fellow-member Lcblond, 

 who has resided in L5ii!;le for several years, it results, 



1st, That about one in the afternoon, on the 26th of 

 April, the air lieing rather cold than warm, and the sky with- 

 out clouds, there was seen, at the distance of twelve or fif- 

 teen leiagues west-south-west from Laigle, a luminous globe 

 moving towards the north-west with great velocity. 



2d, That nearly at the same hour there was heard at 

 I^igle and in several of the surrounding villages a violent 

 explosion, succeeded by two others no less extraordinary, 

 which were followed bv a rumbling noise, the more terrible 

 as no one knew to what it could be compared or ascribed, 

 end which continued about ten minutes. 



3d, That after this noise, by which the animals were as 

 much frightened as the inhabitants, there were seen to fall, 

 with a hissing noise, stones very much scattered, and of dif- 

 ferent sizes, from 2 or 3 gros to ] 7 pounds in weight ; that 

 these stones at first exhaled a strong smell of sulphur, which 

 was gradually dissipated } that those who picked up some 



of 



