r 217 3 



XXXVI. Olservntions on the Fall of Stones from the Clouds , 

 or Aerolites. By M. Marcel de Sp.rres*. 



J. HE phsenomenon of the fallinj^ of stones is in itself so singular, 

 that we ought not to be astonished that, although observed by 

 a great number of intelligent nienf, it was long doubtful whether 

 such an event ever took place. The ancients, much more cre- 

 dulous than the moderns, have almost all admitted the fall of 

 aerolite^ ; but when various terrestrial phsenomena began to be 

 accou'ited for, their existence was entirely denied, because it 

 was impossible to explain their formation. 



The first among the moderns vvho discuased the origin of 

 aerolites and proved their existence, was Albert Groot, or Albert 

 the Great, wliose numerous writings fill nearly twenty-two 

 volumes in folio];. But from that period to the time of Chladni, 

 i. e. from the thirteenth century to the present time, naturalists 

 have paid very little attention to this phaenomenon. The 

 realitv, h nvever, of the occurrence could not be denied, and since 

 it has been admitted, immerous writings have demonstrated that 

 the ancients had left us many testimonies on the subject. If 

 the writers who have turned their attention to such inquiries 

 have exhausted the subject so far as erudition is concerned, it 

 would seem at least that they have not been acquainted with 

 the various opinions hazarded lately to account for the formation 

 of aerolites. Several German writers have in fact adopted an 

 hypothesis on the subject of these meteors, of which the French 

 authors have taken no notice, either because the German lan- 

 guage is hut little understood among us, or because the writings 

 in which this hypothesis is mentioned have not come to their 

 knowledge. The present observations are therefore intended to 

 *upply this omission ; and v.hile upon the subject of the hypo- 

 thesis admitted by certain German writers, we ought not to re- 

 frain from saying a few words as to the work recently published 

 by M. Bigot de Morogues on the same subject. 



We mav refer to three principal hypotheses all those which 

 have been hazarded on the subject of aerolites. Some persons as- 

 sign an extra-atmospheric origin ; while others consider them, on 

 thecontrar}', as formed in our atmosphere. Finally, there are wh6 



* Annalcs dc Chlmie, tome Ixxxv. p. 262. 



t Fliiiy speaks of stonfs fallen from the cloufl?;, as if he had seen them 

 liimself. Kgo ipsu vidl m Vocontiouum agio ^laulo arUe delulum. Lib. ii. 

 cup. CO. 



1 Albert Groot, born at Lawingen in .Snubia in 1205, was Bishop of 

 Riitiblion, and cultivated the sciences willi ^rcat success. His History of 

 Aninial.s is reinarkahlc, for the tinios in which ho lived, although the basis 

 of tliis work was borrowed from Aristotle and his coinincntators, particu- 

 larly Avicenna. 



think 



