Omniana/Volume 2/Blood Showers
237. Blood Showers.
Paracelsus is less fortunate in explaining blood-showers than sky-stones. He is; however, equally bold.
"Fit enim quandoque ut pluvia sanguinalis, seu sanguini similis decidat, aspectu mira. Hujus rei causa est, quod stellarum excrementa pluviis interdum permisceantur, et cum ipsis una decidant. Guttæ illæ, stellares ubi vel super lapides aut terram cadunt, colore rubro ea tingunt, et tamen per se claræ, ut aqua, sunt. In permixtione tamen super terra facta colorem adsciscunt.
"Sæpe etiam ex Iridibus proveniant ita ut resolvantur in aquam. Quæ cum in sese colores omnes habeant, illi cum pluviâ simul in terram cadunt. Postea super eodem fundo similiter quoque coloratæ pluviæ visuntur, ubi scilicet Irides in pluviis stant, quæ magnæ et validæ sunt. Dum incipiunt resolvi, una cum pluvia discedunt. Si quis in illis locis sub Iride, tempore resolutionis ejus, linteis candidis tectus stet, colores illi expressè in linteis notantur et deprehenduntur, modo pluvia simul non ubertim coincidat et colores abluat. Quanquam non Irides omnes in aquam resolvantur. Sunt enim quædam aereæ. Magnæ tamen, pluviosæ et salis plenæ, naturâ aqueâ constant. Unde etiam resolvuntur."
De Meteoris, T. 2, P. 319.
Peiresc thought be had detected the cause of blood-showers in the matter ejected by certain insects when they pass from the chrysalis to the winged state. Any person who has kept silk-worms will recollect the appearance; it is rather of an orange than a blood colour, but if many insects should take wing about the same time, in one place, (as was the case when Peiresc observed the fact,) the large drops falling upon any substance which would retain them, would easily be mistaken for blood by the ignorant. But we have lately heard of red snow, and this seems to show that the true solution yet remains to be discovered.