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CHAPTER XIX 



HAVE industriously sought data for an expression upon birds, 

 but the prospecting has not been very quasi-satisfactory. I 

 think I rather emphasize our industriousness, because a charge likely 

 to be brought against the attitude of Acceptance is that one who 

 only accepts must be one of languid interest and little application of 

 energy. It doesn't seem to work out: we are very industrious, 

 suggest to some of our disciples that they look into the matter of 

 , messages upon pigeons, of course attributed to earthly owners, but 

 i said to be undecipherable. I'd do it, ourselves, only that would be 

 selfish. That's more of the Intermediatism that will keep us out 

 of the firmament: Positivism is absolute egoism. But look back in 

 the time of Andree's Polar Expedition. Pigeons that would have 

 no publicity ordinarily, were often reported at that time. 



In the Zoologist, 3-18-21, is recorded an instance of a bird (puffin) 

 that had fallen to the ground with a fractured head. Interesting, 

 but mere speculation but what solid object, high in the air, had 

 that bird struck against? 



Tremendous red rain in France, Oct. 16 and 17, 1846; great 

 storm at the time, and red rain supposed to have been colored by 

 matter swept up from this earth's surface, and then precipitated 

 (Comptes Rendus, 23-832). But in Comptes Rendus, 24-625, 

 the description of this red rain differs from one's impression of red, 

 sandy or muddy water. It is said that this rain was so vividly red 

 and so blood-like that many persons in France were terrified. Two 

 analyses are given (Comptes Rendus, 24-812). One chemist notes 

 a great quantity of corpuscles whether blood-like corpuscles or not 

 in the matter. The other chemist sets down organic matter at 35 

 per cent. It may be that an inter-planetary dragon had been slain 

 somewhere, or that this red fluid, in which were many corpuscles, 

 came from something not altogether pleasant to contemplate, about 

 the size of the Catskill Mountains, perhaps but the present datum 

 is that with this substance, larks, quail, ducks, and water hens, some 

 of them alive, fell at Lyons and Grenoble and other places. 

 I have notes upon other birds that have fallen from the sky, but 



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