9 58 Stones which have fallen from the Atmafphere. 



forbed oxygen, is {lightly oxidated : the interior part is metal 

 in a native Hate. 



C. Patrin obfervcs, in fupport of his hypothefis, that the 

 difcharoje of an eleflric battery, on a fragment of the ftones 

 fo'ind at; Benares, produced on it a black trace fimilar to the 

 black vitrified crull with which they were covered. Thi* 

 faft indicates what takes place in the atmofphere, where 

 thefe ftones are formed auiidll a very powerful eleftricity, 

 which produces the vitrification and oxidation of their 

 furface. 



The fame author fays, with Mr. Howard, that, fince no 

 doubt is now entertained of thunder and the eleflric fluid 

 beina; the fame thing, the idea of a thunder /lone is become 

 ridiculous. Nothing could be more true, if thunder were 

 never any thing more than an eleftric explofion : but the 

 French chemift's, and particularly Fourcroy, have eQablifhed 

 that hvdrooen afts a coniiderable part in the phsenomena 

 by vihich thunder is accompanied. I am even of opinion 

 that its exiftence ouaht to be oftener employed in explaining 

 the varieties which continually render the general phaeno- 

 menon complex. 



The moft remarkable and mod common are perhaps thofe 

 luminous meteors, the alpeft of which is always brilliant 

 and often alarming, and which uniform tradition, at periods 

 and in places very diftaut irom each other, allign a.< the 

 caufe of the ftones which have fallen from the heavens : 

 whether they feem to be confounded with the ftars, and 

 exhibit to the vulgar eye ftars thrown from their ufual 

 courfe, or whether they accompany thunder, and increafe or 

 modify the action of its devouring flames, or whether, under 

 the form of fire balls, they rapidly travorfe the atmofphere, 

 and approach near enough to us to make lis experience a 

 Iteat proportioned to the vivacity of their light, they muft 

 be confidered as the effeft of the inflammation of hydrogen 

 gas, either pure or charged with fubftances in folution, which 

 modify their appearance and piodu8s. On thefe principles 

 we may point out the fiipj)ofcd caufes t)f the difference 

 which exills between ftones that have fallen from the at- 

 mofphere at different periods. A very violent (hock o'i elec- 

 tricity, or great heat, have produced thofe which are moft 

 vitrified : thole Icfs fo have been formed by a weaker degree 

 of elctlricity, and perhaps by fpontaneous inflammation. 

 Thofe which contain the largeft quantity of metal in the 

 native ftate, are the product of a greater proportion of hy- 

 drogen gas. It may be readily conceived, that when the 

 hydrogen gas has been previoufly combined with a great 



deal 



