On Infusoria in Dust-showers and Blood-rain.. 379 
The Cape Verd shower had a breadth, according to Darwin,* of 
more than 1600 miles, and according to Tuckey, of 1300 miles, 
and extended 6 to 800 miles or even 1000 miles from the African 
coast. This gives an area of 960,000 to 1,280,000, or from 
14,0U0 feet. . The facts may seem inexplicable on any other hy- 
pothesis; yet much more investigation will be required before an 
opinion so contrary to received principles, can be generally adopted. 
The work proceeds with a historical relation of all showers of 
dust, blood-rain, red snow and similar phenomena, from the ear- 
liest records to the present time. ‘This history occupies 100 pa- 
ges of the volume. 
The first instance adduced dates about 1500 years before the 
present era. It is the plague of blood inflicted upon the Egyp- 
tiaus, as related in the Mosaic history, which prevailed through- 
ee whole land of Egypt, continuing three days and three 
hignts, 
: The. second occurred about 1181 B.C., the time of Aineas and 
Dido, as related by Virgil, Aneid, iv, 454. 
Horrendum dictu, latices nigrescere sacros 
Visaque in obsccenum se vertere vina cruorem. 
The third about 950 B.C., as described by Homer, Ilias cae 
4 Bey re 
PANEY eer ee ee 
I 
Ce 
52, 54, and also Ilias xvi, v. 459, 460. 
* Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc., No. 5, 1846, p. 26. 
on page 57:—‘ Ich darf ferner jetzt kaum mehr zweifeln 
Diese beiden neuesten Staubarten, welche so héchst aft gefallen sind, tragen 
die Spur der Existenz und der Fortentwicklung (nicht durch Fibildung, aber durch 
Selbsttheilung) kieselschaliger Formen zu deutlich. nnoch kann ich das Verhailt- 
nifs, der Phytolitharien und Seethicre halber, welche si r befinden, nicht 
kosmisches nennen. . Ich mich auch deshalb mit demselben noch nicht ganz 
F und Fortenwicklung nur bei gleichzeitiger Feuchtigkeit be- 
begiinst: Ww iti 
UW 
bes und die feinen Pflanzentheile vor Verinderung, Verrot- 
durch Trockenheit sicher icht wird. Mischen sich daher — 
Verhiiltmisse ” . 
