^Appendix. 123 



plants, frogs, fish, etc., all of which are well authenticated. No r 

 would it be right to class it with the red snow or " uredo 

 nivalis" a kind of microscopic infusoria, which is found more 

 especially in the polar regions. The entire absence under the 

 microscope of any organic form, together with its chemical com- 

 position, will certainly preclude any such idea. 



We must, therefore, trace it to some other cause. As early 

 as Homer's time, showers of blood were of comparatively fre- 

 quent occurrence. Flammarian notes many miracles of this kind 

 to have taken place. 



In 1744 there fell a red rain in Geneva which terrified the 

 inhabitants, but it was subsequently ascertained that this tint was 

 due to some red earth which a strong wind had carried into the 

 air from a neighboring mountain. In 1608 one of these pre- 

 tended showers of blood fell at Aix (Provence) which the priests 

 attributed to diabolical influence. This prodigy was, however, 

 examined into very minutely, and what seemed to be red rain, 

 in reality was the excrements of butterflies,* which had been 

 noticed in large numbers. Generally speaking, showers of blood 

 were not only red spots produced by certain insects, but regular 

 showers which the wind had carried into the air. The general 

 origin, according to Flammarian, was not ascertained until the 

 present century. 



In 1813 one of these strange red showers fell in the king- 

 dom of Naples and in the two Calabrias. This was examined 

 and analyzed, and a report made before the Naples Academy of 

 Science. An east wind had been blowing for two days, when a 

 dense cloud was noticed moving toward the sea. At two P. M. 

 the sea became calm, but the cloud covered the neighboring 

 mountains, and began to intercept the sun's light. The town 

 was plunged into profound darkness, the storm was very great, 

 and the drops of rain were' colored red. The dust gathered was 

 of a yellowish hue, and contained small, hard bodies reseirbling 

 pyroxene. Heat turned the substance brown. Its specific grav- 



*Flammarian, p. 454. 



