5S4 
The ‘interior is of a grey colour, ofa 
coarfe texture, pretty much refembling 
freefone. We can eafily diftinguihh in 
jt iron in the metallic ftate. The analyfis 
gives likewifle filex, magnefia, oxyde of 
iron, and oxyde of nickel. 
The fecond example is taken froma 
jetter, dated at Sienna, in Italy, by Sir 
William Hamilton. It announces, that 
en the s2thof July, 1794, in the height 
of a very violent ftorm, there fell at Si- 
enna ftones of different magnitude. Their 
fall took place about eighteen hours after 
a fierce eruption of mount Vefuvius, dif- 
tant 250 miles. ‘This letter was accom- 
panied with a fpecimen of one of thofe 
ftones.. It exhibited the fame exterior 
-charaéters as thofe of Benares, and the 
analyfis traced in it the fame fubftances, 
although in proportions fomewhat diffe- 
rent. 
The third example is that of a fimilar 
fall, which took place in Yorkfhire. On 
the 13th of December, 1795: a ftone 
weighing fifty-fix pounds, fell with a great 
number of explofions, like difcharges of 
artillery. The ftone, when taken from 
the earth, was hot and fmoking. It pre- 
fented the fame exterior and interior cha- 
racters as the two preceding. 
A fourth example is that of a ftone 
which fell in Bohemia, on the 3d of July, 
1753. It yielded the fame refults. Its 
fpecific weight was 4281. ae 
We fhall confine ourfelves to thefe facts, 
becaufe they are announced in fuch a 
manner as to acquire much probability. 
«< We have feen (fays the reporter to the 
Inftitute) fpecimens of thefe ftones; they 
all prefent the charaéters included in the 
preceding defcription. 
We could find, in the writings of the 
ancients, @ great number of recitals, 
which agree perfeétly well with the fore- 
going, but, without going fo far back, we 
fhall quote a remarkable paflage found in 
fome Obfervations of FRERET on the Pro- 
digies reported by the Anctents.”” 
« The famous GassEnbI, whofe accu- 
ra¢y and knowledge are both well-known, 
relates, that on the 27th of November, 
1617, the fky being very clear, he faw fall, 
about ten o’clock in the morning, on 
Mount Vailien, between the towns of 
Guillaume and Pefne, in Provence, an 
inflamed ftone,:' which appeared about four 
feet in diameter. It was bordered with a 
luminous cicle of different colours, pret- 
ty much like the rambow. Its fall was 
accompanied with a noife like that of ma- 
ny cannons firing at once. ‘This ftone 
weighted fifty.nine pounds; it was of a 
é 
Proceedings of Learned Sacietie. 
[Jan 1, 
dark and metallic colour, and extremely 
hard.”’ / 
This defcription of Gaffendi is perfeétly 
conformable to that of Mr. Howard, and 
gives a great probabjlity to the fact we 
are examining. , 
But, what confirms it in a full ftronger — 
manner, is that all thefe ftones, compoted 
of the fame principles, include nickel, a 
fubftance which is rarely found on the fur- 
face of the earth ; and likewife iron in the 
metallic itate, which is never feen in the 
products of volcanoes. 
We cannot, therefore, attribute the fall 
of thefe ftones to volcanic eruptions, and 
we have feen that there alfo exifts moral 
proofs, which are repugnant to this mode 
of explication. 
Natural Hiftory—The Profeffors of 
the National Mufeum of Natural Hiftory 
of Paris propofe fhortly to publifh regus 
lar feries of Annals of that Eftablith- 
ment. It is only as an academical fociety, 
confiiting of members labouring in com- 
mon, that this public body can be confi- 
dered as a novelty. It is from its very 
antiquity that it draws the greateft ad- 
vantages in the new relation that it is 
about to enter into with the friends of the 
{ciences. Founded under Louis XIII. 
conftantly enriched by the protection of 
ail the governments which have fucceeded, 
and by the indefatigable labours of the 
celebrated men who have been employed 
in it, the National Mufeum of Naturaf 
Hiftory is arrived to fuch a degree of ex- 
tent and plenitude, that the public leétures 
which are continually delivered there, no 
longer fuffice to give to it all the utility 
which it ought to expect. The numerous 
pupils who frequent them require to have 
the elements of the fcience unfolded, as 
likewife the principal faéts of which it is 
compofed ; the generality of them have 
neither time nor fufficient knowledge to 
enter into the immenfe details relative te 
the new {pecies, which correfpondents are 
addreffing to them from all parts, to the 
new faéts that are obferved in the livin 
fpecies preferved in the Garden and ip the 
Menagerie, and to thofe that are difcover- 
‘ed when animals are configned to the ana- 
tomift, or when chemiltry 1s ‘operating on 
minerals. It is only for men of confum- 
mate knowledge to fpeak of thefe obfer- 
vations as they occur, and to fupply the 
facilities neceflary to make the pupils un- 
derftand them. For this purpofe the pro- 
feflors of this eitablifhment “haye agreed 
to meet énce a-week, to communicate re- 
Cciprocally fuch interefting obfervations as 
fhall be made by each in the department 
that 
