LUMINOUS SHOWERS. 145 



Arrago records similar occurrences: In 1731 a priest 

 named Hallai, who lived at Lessay, near Constance, states 

 that he observed one evening during a severe thunder-storm, 

 rain falling which looked like drops of red-hot liquid metal. 



Bergman, the eminent Swedish chemist, communicated to 

 the Royal Society of London, in 1761, that late in the after- 

 noon upon two occasions, though hearing no thunder, he had 

 seen rain which glittered as it fell upon the ground, making 

 it look as if covered with waves of fire. 



M. Pasumot, on May 3, 1768, was overtaken, while walk- 

 ing near Arnay-le-Duc, on an open plain, by a very heavy 

 storm. The rain collecting on the brim of his hat, he 

 stooped his head to allow it to run off, when to his astonish- 

 ment, as it encountered that which fell from the clouds, at 

 about twenty inches from the ground, sparks were emitted 

 between the two portions of liquid. 



During January, 1822, Lampadius was told by the miners 

 of Freyburg, that they had observed during a storm, sleet 

 which emitted light when it fell upon the ground. 



A friend of Howard, the meteorologist, stated to him, that 

 while going from London to Bow on the 19th of May, 1809, 

 there came up a very severe storm ; and he 'observed the rain 

 emit light as it struck the earth. 



On the 28th of October, 1772, the Abbs' Bertholon, who 

 was travelling to Lyons from Brignai, early in the morning 

 was overtaken by a violent storm of rain and hail. The rain 

 and hail-stones emitted light as they fell upon the metallic 

 mounting of his horse's trappings. 



Luminous hail has often been observed ; and when we 

 remember that hail-stones sometimes attain great size, we can 

 imagine the scene occasioned by a fall where each stone is 



