28 
STONES FALLING FROM THE AIR. 
substances the form' of vapour j and even then their composi 
sition, which, in general, is nearly the same, w’ould not b 
easily accounted for. Lastly, how can these vapours, floatint 
in the air, arrange themselves so as to form so compounded ; 
mixture. And, added to that, the regular form of the metallM 
parts indicate a kind of fusion, which, as M. Proust remarks 
is not consistent with their slight degree of oxidation, 
•ITic metallic .... , , . ... 
body which Admitting, that during the ignition of the metallic nucleus 
falls is cousi- all these metallic parts are formed, the small magnitude of ihi 
deied as the . . ° 
residue of a stone itself may then be accounted for in comparison with th< 
ma^s^or^c^oni- size of the globe of tire from which it proceeds. It 
biistible mat- fact, the metallic stone is nothing else but the residue, or, ai 
ter. 
It may be called, the caput mortuum remaining after the greai 
combustion ; and the adhesive substance resembles pitet 
which is found round some aerolites, may be considere.1 as pari 
of tlie substances which has not been on fire. If the niattei 
of which these globes of fire that precede the fall of aerolites 
are composed, were not extremely combustible, the globes 
themselves would not be so extensive, nor their ignitiori of so 
loiig a duration. The meteorolites themselves do not contain 
any very inflammable substances, because these were consumed 
pluvious to the fall of these bodies. It is also to be observed, 
that phosphate of iron is sometimes spread over the aerolites, 
as was seen in that which fell in Russia in the year 1807- And, 
The meteoro- 2 s M. Vauquelin has remarked*, nothing more is required, in 
In^tlleh-^'com’ order that they may re- 
poiient parts, semble, in composition, the atmospheric stones. As these ores 
are formed almost always in the midst of marshes, we may 
* This able chemist, on analysing five species of the bo" ore of iron, 
discovered that they are all composed of the same principles, which 
are .silex, aliiniine, lime, oxide of manganese, phosphoric acid, mag- 
nesia, and the cliromic acid. As M. Vauquelin took these ores without 
selection, he considered that, very probably, all the ores of the same 
kind contain the same substances; and lastly, that nickef only is want- 
ing in the composition of these incs to complete their resemblance 
with the atnio.'>pheric stones. Anuales (In Museum dhistoire natuielle, 
tom. VI IJ, p.459. 
there 
