The Washington times., 1901-11-03
SHOWERS OF ANIMALS.
Many Instances Reported of the
Remarkable Phenomena.
Prof. steyneGer's Claim and Obser-
vations Of other Scientists-Fish,
Frogs. and Insects Have Fallen
From the CIouds-A Rat Storm.

From the CIouds-A Rat Storm.
Prof Leonhard Steyneger, of the
Smithsonian Institution, was inter
viewed recently on the subject of show
ers of animals The professor dis
proved the general and widespread be
lief that fishes, frogs. and other small
creatures fail upon the earth after the
manner of a shower of rain, and gen.
orally, indeed, accompanied by the lat
ter.
Until see a shower Of animals with
my own eyes" said Prof. Steyneger, Il
will not believe such a thing possible,
and even then l would be inclined to
doubt the evidence of my senses. 1t is
true that, in spots adjacent to water,
large numbers of young frogs have been
found lying upon the ground, but l
think they have come up on land to en-
joy shower bath. and cannot find
their way back again"
Notwithstanding the skeptical atti-
tude of Prof. Steyneger, who is one Of
the most distinguished scientists living,
on this question, there are on record
numerous instances of showers Of fall
ing animals. On the Goth of September,
1889. an English officer, residing in the
neighborhood of Calcutta, saw a guam
tity of live fish descend in a shower of
rain. They were about three inches in
length, and all of one kind. Some, fall
ing on hard ground, were killed; some,
which fell on soft grass, continued TO
live.
.'The most strange thing which struck
me in connection with this event" said
the officer. was that the fish did not
fall helter skeIter, everywhere. or here
and there; they fell in a straight line,
not more than cubit in breadth"
Shortly after this event, at village
near AIlahabad India, 5000 or 1000 fish
were found on the ground. These were
about a span in length.
on the 14th of April, 1923, Major
Forbes Mackenzie, of Fodderty Ross
shire, Scotland, while walking in field
on his farm, saw a great portion of the
ground covered with herring fry three
TO four inches in length, fresh and en-
tire. The spot was three miles from
the Firth Of Dingwall. About two
years afterwaTd, in the island Of Islay,
in Argyleshire, after a day Of very
heavy rain, the Inhabitants were sur
prised to find large number Of small
herrings strewn over the fields, per
fectly fresh, and some Of them alive.
on another OCCASION during a strong
gale, herrings and other fish were car
ried from the Firth OF Forth as far as
Loeb Levin, eight or ten miles distant.
More recently, a Wick newspaper
stated that on a certain morning,
large quantity of herrings were found
lying scattered in a garden about half
a mile from the shore at that town.
The peasants cooked and ate them
not without Inisgiying on the part of
others as to the possibility of some Sa-
tanic agency having been concerned I'M
the transfer of herrings to such sr
In Hastead's History of Ken
narrated that, about Easter, Fooo IN a,a
parish Of Stanstead whloa Is az a -.
siderable distance from the sec, ar ara9 ll,1s
No fish ponds near it, a pasture neiu
VAS found strewn oTo- WIN siii"ii
fish. raoord contrary
ne INC me- ~ neral belief. of rains of
pernaps. pa Insects are more rare. Prof.