1822.] Scientific Intelligence. 313 
monia, from which it is precipitated by acids in the form of a colour- 
less jelly. 
These bezoars are inflammable, but do not emit while burning the 
fetid smell which characterizes animal matter in combustion. Four 
grammes distilled in a glass retort, yielded 0:5 of a brown empyreu- 
matic oi], and 1°7 of a yellowish fluid, which strongly reddened turnsol 
paper, and also contained ammonia. There remained in the retort 
1-1 of charcoal, which left after combustion 0:14 of grey ash, affording 
to water the muriates of soda and potash, with traces of a sulphate and 
carbonate ; and to muriatic acid some phosphate of lime ; 0-02 grammes 
of silex remaining undissolved. 
** It results from the preceding facts,” says M. Braconnot, * that 
the bezoars vomited by the woman of Bar-le-duc have absolutely all 
the properties of wood; they bear a great resemblance to those which 
were found among the presents sent to France by the king of Persia, 
and which have been examined by M. Berthollet. But it is to be re- 
marked that these oriental bezoars were easily soluble in potash, 
whilst ours are dissolved only in very small quantity by it. This would 
appear to render their resemblance to wood still more perfect.” (Ann. 
de Chim. &c. xx. p. 194.) 
V.. Fall of a Meteorite at Angers. 
The following particulars respecting this event are derived from a 
letter of M. Desvaux, keeper of the Museum of Natural History at 
Angers, 
At a quarter after eight in the evening of the 3rd of June, in the 
present year, the sky being cloudless and the air calm, there was seen 
at many places, such as Loudun and Angers, towns sixteen leagues 
distant from each other, a vivid meteor to the south-east of the latter 
place, which remained visible for many seconds. To this succeeded a 
very loud detonation, followed by a rapid succession of reports of less 
intensity, resembling a running fire of musketry, and continuing for 
five or six seconds, This fire-ball, much nearer to Angers than to 
Saumur, appears to have had its centre of action over St. Jean-des- 
Mauvrets, a league and a half from Angers, on the left bank of the 
Loire. Luminous traces appeared in the atmosphere after the deto- 
nations, and a shower of stones descended, of which one, weighing 30 
ounces, fell into a garden at Angers; the ground being hard, it made 
only a very slight hole, and being taken up at the moment of its fall 
had no particular heat; the temperature of the atmosphere was be- 
tweeen 81° and 82° Fahr. 
This meteorite, which appears to have been the only one of the 
shower that had been taken up, is described as being an irregular an- 
gular fragment, evidently a portion of a larger mass, invested with a 
brown black crust, on part of which is a bubble; and presenting, in- 
teriorly, the same aspect and structure as the stones which fell at 
y Faigle in 1802. 
An interesting account of the meteor itself is given in a letter ad- 
dressed to M. Arago by M. Boisgiraud, sen. Professor of the, Phy- 
sical Sciences at the Royal College of Poitiers; of this the following 
is an abstract: 
There was seen at Poitiers, at eight o'clock, in the evening of the 
3rd of June, a beautiful falling star in the NNE, consequently near the 
