^ , Meleor. 



means of gunpowder a large biock of stone, split it by tlie 

 usual processes, and found in the middle of it th^ pcf.r.'.ied 

 skeleton of a ram^ The two sections of the block each 

 contain one half of the animal in perfect preservation, with 

 all the parts exceedingly distinct. The block \\^as detached 

 from the solid rock, at the depth of thirty feet from the 

 summit of the quarry. This curious petrifaction is to be 

 deposited in ihe nmseum oi natural history. 



METEOR. 



A ver)^ uncommon meteor was observed at Bcfort on the 

 fi?d of September 1803, bv L. Ordinaire, correspomient of 

 government for agrictdture and meteorology, the account 

 of which we shall here give in his own words : — " At scvcii 

 o'clock in the evening of that day," says he, " I was re- 

 turning from the country. The air was slightly agitated by 

 a gentle wind at east-north-east, and it was very durk. At 

 half a league from Befort I saw the heavens suddenly be- 

 come so bright that the country seemed as if illuminated by 

 a thousand lamps. I immediately perceived a globe of fire 

 which issued from a cloud : it passed over our heads and 

 rushed into another cloud. The globe was of a reddish 

 yellow colour, and exceedingly brilliant. It scorned to be 

 about sixor eight feet in diameter. It left behind it some 

 faint traces of light, like those produced in gencial by conl- 

 mon sky-rockets. 



" We saw this globe for one minute at least. The horses 

 wepe so terrified by it that they set out on a full gallop. 

 The coachman himself was frightened, and two ladies were 

 taken ill. When the globe rushed into the other cloud it 

 seemed to revolve, describing a semicircle. I lost sight of 

 it near a wood, at a little distance, where 1 suppose it ex- 

 ploded, for we heard a hollow noise like that of a cannon 

 discharged at a great distance. This explosion was attended 

 with no bad consequences, for we heard of no damage done 

 by it either next day or the days following. 



This meteor was seen at Befort and at the neighbouring 

 villages. The explosion was felt in that town. At first it 

 was supposed to be an earthquake. The glass in the v.'in- 

 dows was shaken, and the houses experienced a kind of 

 shock which excited great alarm. The globe proceeded ir? 

 a direction from north-east to south-west. On my return 

 to Befort I examined my barometer, which stood at 27 in- 

 ches 4 lines, and my therniometer was at 10-^ degrees above 

 freezing. 



METEOKO- 



