Conjidcrations on Dr. Hallon^s Theory o/Raifi. 55 





globules tranfparent. Meteors, or lightning, attended the 

 tlefcent of the ftones at Benares and at Sienna. Such coin- 

 cidence of circnmftances, and the unqueftionablc authorities 

 I have adduced, muft, I imagine, remove all doubt as to the 

 defcent of thefe ftony fubftances ; for to dilbciieve, on the 

 mere ground of incomprehenfibility, would be to difpute 

 moil of the works of nature, 



Rcfpe6ling the kinds of iron called native, they all contain 

 nickel. The mafs in South America is hollow, has conca- 

 vities, and appears to have been in a foft or welding ftate, 

 becaufe it has received various impreffions. 



The Siberian iron has globular concavities, in part filled 

 with a tranfparent fubllance, which, the proportional quan- 

 tity of oxide of iron excepted, has nearly the compofition o( 

 the globules in the Hone from Benares. 



The iron from Bohemia adheres to earthy matter ftuddcd 

 with globular bodies. 



The Senegal iron had been completely mutilated before it 

 came under mv examination. 



From thefe facts I Ihall draw no conclufion, but fubmit 

 the following queries : 



ill, Have not all fallen ftones, and what arc called native 

 irons, the fame origin ? 



adiy, Arc all, or anv, the produce or the bodies of meteors ? 



And, laltly, Might not the ilone from Yorklhirc have 

 formed a meteor in regions too elevated to be diicovered ? 



Speciujens of the Ikniares and Yorklhire itones have been 

 depufited, by the prefident, in the Britifli Mufeum. 



X. ConjUcra lions on Dr. IIutton'^ Theory of Rain: 

 read before the AJkefian Socielj, in the Se/Jion 1801-2. Bj 

 Luke Howard, Efo. F.L.S. 



In an efTay prefented to the Royal Society of r:dinburgh, 

 and inferted in the firft volume of their Tranlao.lions, Dr. 

 Hntton invcftigates the rule direfting the aftion and ctfeAs 

 of heat and cold on the atmofphere, in order to cftal)lifli a 

 theory of rain on this principle, that the mixture of portions 

 of air faturated with water, and at dilfering temperatures, 

 will uniformly ])roduce the condenfation of a portion of 

 water. 



" This rule of condenfation," fays Dr. Tlutton, " may 

 be applied to the theory of rain, which is the diltillation of 

 water firit dilfolved in the atmofphere, and thou condciife^ 

 from that ftate of foluiion. 



D 4 " The 



