AEROLITES. Air stones, or meteoric stones falling from the atmosphere. These are semimetallic substances, the descent of which, though mentioned several times in history, has not been authenticated until these few years. The fact is, however, by recent and frequent observations, now put beyond all doubt. Two showers of stones are recorded by Livy and Julius Obsequens to have happened at Rome in the reign of Tullus Hostilius, and during the consulate of C. Martius and M. Torquatus ; a shower of iron, in Lucania, mentioned by Pliny, and a shower of mercury by Dion. Among the moderns, Carden speaks of about 12,000 stones, one of 120 lbs. another of 60 lbs. that fell at Padua in Italy, in 1510 ; Gassesidi of a stone of 59 lbs. on Mount Vaiser in Pro. vence ; Muschenbrock of two large stones in Ireland ; St. Amend de Baudin and others of a great shower of atones in the environs of Agen, in 1790 ; the earl of Bristol of twelve stones at Sienna in Tuscany, in 1794 ; Captain Top ham of a stone of 56 lbs. at Cottage in Yorkshire, in 1795; Dr. Southey of a stone of
10 lbs. in Portugal, in 1796 ; Philosophical Ma gazine, of a mass of iron 70 cubic feet, in Ame rica, in 1800 ; and PI Fourcroy of several stones from 10 lbs. to 17 lbs. that fell near L'Aigle in Normandy, besides other instances equally well attested. The larger sort of these stones have been seen as luminous bodies to move with great velocity, descending in an oblique direction, and frequently with a loud hissing noise, resembling that of a mortar shell • piece of Geist ace front every other knows terrestrial radonence, yet than stones perhetly amble each other, the same ace of aminesalk master, coated an the oat Ode with a this black iscrunation, wad being in their chemical oompothim very similar. The am fiat L'ALele in Prance, ins 19R3, was found to coatain rie race 54 pares, oxide of iron 36, canal' 9, wide of sfieltel 3, sulphur 2, thee 1 ; their need& gi ey is also nearly the mese, Wag alb 3 and a WI tint &am water.