A E L 



JE R tr 



analysed by Bergman, contained 69 

 silica, 8 lime, 20 alumina, 3 water. 

 Thomson. 



AE'LODON. A fossil saurian of the 

 oolite and lias. 



A'ERATE. To combine with carbonic 

 acid. 



A'EEATED. Combined with carbonic 

 acid, or fixed air. 



A'E RATION. The combining with fixed 

 air, or carbonic acid ; the saturation 

 of a liquid with air. 



AE'EIAL ACID. A name given by 

 Bergman to carbonic acid or fixed 

 air ; aerial acid is of greater specific 

 gravity than atmospheric air, and 

 extinguishes flame. 



AE'ROLITE. (from afjp and X/0os, Gr.) 

 Called also meteorite. A name 

 given to meteoric stones, which, 

 occasionally, fall to the earth. No- 

 thing is positively known as to the 

 origin of aerolites : by some authors 

 they have been supposed to come 

 from the moon, being projected by 

 volcanic force beyond the sphere of 

 the moon's attraction ; by others 

 they have been thought to be 

 children of the air, created by the 

 union of simpler forms of matter. 

 They do not resemble any other 

 substance found on the earth, and 

 it has been indisputably proved that 

 they are not of terrestrial forma- 

 tion. The fall of these bodies has 

 been well ascertained, and has oc- 

 curred at different times, and in 

 various parts through many ages. 

 Some of these aerolites are im- 

 mensely large, from 300 Ibs. down- 

 wards. From an analysis of them, 

 they are found to agree in their 

 component parts. They are covered 

 with a thin crust of a deep black 

 colour, their exterior is roughened 

 with small projections, and they 

 are destitute of gloss. Internally 

 their texture is granulated, and of 

 a greyish colour. When carefully 

 examined, they appear to be com- 

 posed of a number of small spherical 

 bodies and metallic grains embedded 



in a softer matter, composed, accord-- 

 ing to the Hon. Mr. Howard, who 

 diligently and carefully studied 

 them, of silica, magnesia, iron, and 

 nickel. In addition to these sub- 

 stances, Yauquelin found chrome, 

 and Stromeyer discovered cobalt, 

 in aerolites : lime, alumine, and 

 manganese, have also been detected 

 in them. Meteoric iron has been 

 imitated by fusing iron with nickel. 

 "When it is considered how many 

 of these bodies have been seen, or 

 heard, to fall through the air, we 

 must conclude that they are very 

 numerous especially when we reflect 

 on the small proportion which must 

 be observed, and the small compar- 

 ative portion of the globe which is 

 inhabited, or habitable, by man. 

 The fall of meteoric stones, in the 

 opinion of some writers, is much 

 more frequent than is generally 

 supposed, hardly a year passing 

 without some instances occurring. 



AERO'METER. (from a?}/> and /neTpov, 

 Gr. acrometre, Fr.) An instrument 

 for ascertaining the weight, or 

 density, of the atmosphere. 



AERO'METET. (aerometrie, Fr.) The 

 science which treats of the proper- 

 ties of the air ; it comprehends not 

 only the doctrine of the air itself, 

 considered as a body, but also its 

 pressure, elasticity, rarefaction, and 

 condensation. 



AERO'SCOPY. (from ar}p and aKOTrew, 

 Gr.) The observation of the air. 



AEB.OSTATION, (from arjp, the air, 

 and larrffjii to weigh, Gr.) Primarily, 

 the science of weights suspended 

 in the air, but in the modern ac- 

 ceptation of the term, the art of 

 navigating in the air. 



JEfiu'eiNous. (from (eruginosus, Lat.) 

 Partaking of the nature of the rust 

 of copper. 



JERU'GO. Yerdigrease, or verdigris ; 

 rust of copper, formed by the com- 

 bination of an acid with copper. 

 Impure subacetate of copper. Yer- 

 digris is inodorous, and when first 



