216 Outlines of Meteoric Astronomy. 



enter the atmosphere deep enough to produce concussions, but 

 not to reach the ground. Aerolites, it will presently be seen, 

 cannot have owed their origin to such a process. 



(11.) The falls of aerolites must be reckoned very rare occur- 

 rences in England, but in Europe the number of falls recorded 

 since the beginning of the last century to the present time 

 exceeds 130. Aerolites are not (by any means) so frequent as 

 earthquakes, but so violent are their concussions in the air, 

 that they may have been at -times mistaken for this cause. 

 Some might also occur at night, and many in unfrequented 

 parts, which could not be recovered and transmitted to 

 museums. If the number preserved is reckoned at one-tenth 

 part of those which have really fallen, this amounts on a 

 moderate estimate to one meteorite per diem on the whole 

 surface of the sea and land. This department of science is 

 therefore likely to be extended by the increased facilities of 

 intelligence and intercommunication which prevail in every 

 part of the inhabited globe. At Barbotan, in the South of 

 France, a perfect hail of stones took place on the evening of 

 the 24th of July, 1790, from a large meteor which burst over 

 the town, so that the inhabitants ran for refuge in their houses. 

 This report was generally disbelieved in France, but specimens 

 were nevertheless preserved in private collections. A shower 

 of stones was again reported to have taken place at L' Aigle, 

 in Normandy, on the 26th of April, 1803. J. B. Biot, an 

 Academician from Paris, was deputed to inquire into the truth 

 of these reports. Having provided himself with a specimen 

 of the Barbotan stones, Biot proceeded to the spot, and soon 

 assured himself of the truth of all that was related. Biot him- 

 self dug up a stone from the ground where it had fallen, and 

 in a few days returned to the Academy the following report : — 



' ' 1 . A violent explosion was heard at L' Aigle and for 80 

 miles in all the country round, about one p.m. on the 26th of 

 April, 1803. 



"2. A few minutes before the explosion was heard at 

 L' Aigle, a luminous meteor with a very rapid motion was seen 

 in the air, not at 1/ Aigle, but at several very distant places 

 round. 



"3. The explosion that was heard at 1/ Aigle was the con- 

 sequence of the luminous meteor which burst in the air. 



" 4. Stones fell from the sky on the 26th of April, 1803." 



More than 2000 stones fell, upon trees, pavements, and 

 the roofs of houses, so hot at the moment of their fall as to 

 burn the fingers when incautiously handled. One person was 

 grazed by a stone upon the arm. This shower of stones ex- 

 tended over an area of oval figure nine miles long from south 

 to north, and six miles wide. In this respect it was perfectly 



