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CHAP. III. 



Of Meteors. 



l. Of Vapours, Mists, ani 7. Of Thunder and Lightning 



Clouds. 8. Of Damps. 



3. Of Dew and Rain, 9. Of Ignes Fatui 



3. Of Snow and Hail. 10. Of Electricity. 



4. Of the Rainbow. . 11. Of Ether of Plants. 



5. Of the Halo. 12. Of Wind. 



6. Of mock Suns and Moons. 13. Reflections. 



1. \\ HATSOEVER is carried aloft into the air, and 

 suspended there, is termed a meteor. These are either 

 watry, fiery, or airy. The watry, are mists, clouds, 

 rain, snow, hail. Watry particles which are rarified so 

 as to float in the air, are then termed vapours. If these 

 are visible and hang near the earth, we call them mists ; 

 if they are higher in the air, cjouds. Some of these are 

 so thin, as to transmit the rays of the sun, others so 

 dense as to intercept them; 



The manner wherin the vapours that constitute clouds 

 and .rain are raised, seems to be this. Fire being the 

 lightest of all bodies, easily breaks loose from them ; 

 and in its passage carries along with it particles or little 

 cases of water. These being lighter than the air, are 

 buoyed up, and swim therein ; till striking against one ano- 

 ther, or thickened by cold, they are reduced into clouds 

 and drops. 



To illustrate this, we may observe in water over the 

 fire, 1. That the evaporations are proportioned to the 

 heat. A small heat throws off few vapours, scarce visi- 

 ble : a greater heat carries off larger and more numer- 

 H 3 



