STONES FALLINfl FEOM THE AIR. 
25 
obscured during ibis rain at Lurania ; and the atmosphere 
became quite red before it fell ; tlie residue which it left was 
also reddish and had an earthy appearance. This rain was 
almost as thick and had the consistency of snow, as was likewise 
that which fell on the mountains of Plaisance on the 17 th of 
January, 1810*. The latter, which was observed by a great 
number of persons, appeared at first white, but after several 
claps of thunder it became red, and at last returned to the 
white colour. In certain places it appeared of a flesh colour, 
while in others it was of a deep red 5 but it has always retained 
its colour after having been fused } this fact seems to prove, 
that it is with. little probability the colour of these showers has 
been attributed to a varied or chatoyant reflection, similar to 
that of Mica, as some philosophers have pretei\ded. 
The testimony of too many persons concur in proof of the showm of 
existence of showers of sand, to allow of their reality being sand, &c. 
denied. A shower of this kind was observed at Bagdad about 
the year 930f, and a long time before it fell, the sky appeared 
covered by a red cloud from whence was precipitated an 
immense quantity of reddish sand, differing totally from the 
sands which are found in that country. Some authors insider 
this sand as a ferruginous oxide : whatever it may be, the 
reality of this phenomenon is no less certain than that of the 
ferruginous shower which was seen on^ the Atlantic ocean in 
17191 ,' in latitude 45°, and longitude 32°, at the distance of 
about five or six leagues from the continent. This shower was 
preceded by a considerable degree of illumination, and lasted 
for more than nine hours without the air being disturbed^. 
* Litteratur Zcitnng Jahr, 1812. 
f Memoires stir I figypt, par M. Qnatrcmere. 
t Histoire natiirelle de I’Air, par Richard, tom. V— .Id. Lithologic 
atmospherique, par. M. Izarn. 
§ Pore Feuill^e exhibited some samples of this sand at tlie Academy 
of Sciences. As this sand was of a nature similar to that of the 
Beiehbonrint; shore, it was prestuned it might have been conveyed by 
means of a water S|K>ut. 
The 
