A SHOWER OF FROGS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 11 October 1888, Page 3

A SHOWER OF FROGS

Our Patio correspondent dating Augusr 15>h says : — Tbe inhabitants of JNantua, m the department of tho Aln, whloh borders on Savoy, aver that ie rained, not "oats and dogs" bat "frogs" just outside their town last weak. At all events, when they awoke one morning they found not only tbe fields, but the trees, the roofs of the houses, and the steeples of churches, oovered with buttsohlans. Nobody, of coutße, has been found bold enough to say that he aotually saw frog* falling from tho olouds, although some of the oldest Inhabitants firmly believe that it must have been steadily pouring '• oroakera " all night, else how did tbe batraohlans get into the trees or on the houses. Phenomena of the kind are not, however, unknown In this country. The Academy of Solenoe possesses on Its reoords the testimony of a probably truth-loving villager of Ham, In the Department of the Somme, who said that be saw frogs fall from the clouda m a storm, while a witness from another country district avers that m 1850 he saw frogs and toada coming down m dense masses from tbo eklea, some of them tumbling on his " gingham," Better testimony Is, however, given by Admiral Jurlen de la Graviero, who says that he saw little fishes coming down from the heavens m shoals, near Toulon, after a violent storm of thunder and rain. The Admiral explained the phenomenon as the probable result of a waterspout, whloh after having burst at sea was whirled landwards by a hurricane.