AEEOLITES. 587 



:ric stones fall the most rarely in a quite clear sky, 

 without the previous formation of a black meteor-cloud, with- 

 out any visible phenomenon of light, but with a terrible crack- 

 ling, as upon the 6th of September, 1843, near Klein- 

 \Vcnden, not far from Miihlhausen ; or they fall, and 

 more frequently, shot out of a suddenly formed dark cloud, 

 accompanied by phenomena of sound, though without li_ 

 finally, and indeed the most frequently, the Mis of meteoric 

 stones present themselves in close connection with brilliant 

 tire-balls. Of this connection the falls of stones at Barbotan 

 (Dep. dcs Landes) on the 24th of July, 1790, with a simul- 

 taneous appearance of a red fire-ball and a tchite meteoric 

 cloud, 3 * from which the aerolites fell; the fall of stones at 

 Benares, in Hindostan, loth December, I 1 that of 



to v Dep. de L'Orne), on the 26th of April, 1S03, afford 

 well-described and indubitable examples. The last of the 

 phenomena here mentioned that which among all has been 

 investigated and described with the u .ire by Biot 



has finally, 23 centuries after the great Thracian fall of stones, 

 and 300 years since a Frate was killed by an aerolite at Crenia, 5 * 



:iitz, Lclirb nclt dcr Mffteorologie, vol. iii. p.CTT 



^roat fall of aerolites ;.t Crema, and on the shores of 

 Atlda, is described with especial vivacity, but unfo: 

 in a rhetorical and vague manner, by the celebrated IV 

 Martyr, of Anghier* (Opus Epistolarum-, Amst. 1070, 

 no. cecclxv. pp. 245-246). What preceded the fall it 

 an almost total darkeni: . 4th of September. 1,3 11. 



noon hour. " Far.. .vonem immensmn in aerea 



:eusi plaga fuisse visum. Tavo visus in pyraniidem con- 

 verti, adeoqxie celeri ab occulente in orientein raptari cir. -/.. 

 ut in hone moniento niagnam hemisphirrii partem, doctoruni 

 inspectantium senteiuia, pcrvolasse credatur. Ex nubium 

 illico densitate tenebras ferunt > . quales viventiimi 



nullus unquam se coirr.ovisse iateatur. Per cam uoctis iaciem, 

 cum formidolosis tulgmibtis, inaudita touitrua regioneni 

 circumsepserunt." *' The report is, that an enormous peacock 



