SHOWERS AND STAINS OF BLOOD. 331 



leaves, buildings, clothes, and men, with bloody 

 drops, as if it had rained blood." 



In the Gentleman's Magazine for the year 1764 

 we read that "a kind of rain of a red colour, 

 resembling blood, fell in many parts of the Duchy 

 of Cleves, and caused great consternation. Some- 

 thing of the like kind fell also at Rhenen, in the 

 province of Utrecht." A gentleman is reported 

 to have sent a bottle full of it to Dr. Schutte, to 

 know if it contained anything pernicious to health. 

 Dr. Schutte wrote a learned dissertation upon it, 

 and gave it as his opinion that it was caused by the 

 particles which had been raised into the atmo- 

 sphere by a strong wind, and that it was in no 

 way hurtful to mankind or beasts. Probably 

 butterflies were the real shedders of this blood- 

 like shower, as in the previous cases.*" 



Our next remark about the imago state of in- 

 sects will, perhaps, create some surprise. Insects 

 in this state, with some apparent exceptions, da 

 not grow larger. When they leave the pupa state, 

 and have all their parts fully developed, they do 

 not subsequently increase in size. We are often 



* Several other explanations of red-rain are given, which 

 account for it by the presence of animalcules, fungi, &c. 



