246 
STONES FALLING FROM THE AIR. 
I hat brown adherent matter, resembling a varnish, which 
covered those stones at Benares, as well as those which fell in 
17/5, and which has again been found on those aerolites, of 
which a shower took place at Valence in 1806 ? This gluey 
matter was also in great quantity in the stones of Stannern j 
according to the description given of it, it appears to be very 
like coom, this viscid matter is probably a residue of that, 
which in the antecedent combustion was not entirely consumed, 
and to which may be attributed the smoke these stones often 
emit after their fail. 
Some aerolites There are also certain aerolites which appear very different 
from those * * * § from those which, have hitherto been analysed j to this class 
tiomuionly belong those small white stones covered with ice, which fell in 
seen. 
Russia*; the white pebbles which, in 1552, made so much 
ravage near Schleusingen, in Bavaria, and at the gates of 
Munich t, of which specimens were for a long time preserved. 
And lastly, the stone that fell in Ireland in I77M which resem- 
bled a grey silicious pebble, like those precipitated at Burgos in 
ld38,§ which were so light: that the largest of them did not 
weigh quite half a pound, though they were as large as small 
pillows. This last fact, however singular it may appear, may 
be considered as undoubted, since it depends on the informa- 
tion given by M. Proust. 
They appear The aerolites, therefore, appear, from all that has been 
at times, aiui observed, to have so intimate a connection with the globes of 
under circum- 
stances haf'irif* fire, that we may be almost assured that in those years in 
the like .ela- w hi c h there have been many firy meteors, there will also be 
tion to globes J 1 
of fire and one or more showers of stones. And so likewise as the ignited 
earthquakes. rae |- eors p rece de or accompany earthquakes, the aerolites also 
coincide with those great phenomena. In fact, such years as 
have been marked by a great number of hurricanes and other 
similar phenomena, have never failed as to the appearance of 
showers of stones. Asa proof of this, the years 1618, l65Q> 
* Journal de Physique de Gilbert, tom. XXXI. 
t Ibid. tom. XXIX. 
| Nouveau magasin d’histoire naturelle, par Voigt, tom. L, 
§ Journal de Physique, tom. LX. 
1654, 
