An account of the Fine Dust which often falls on Vessels in the Atlantic Ocean.

Abstract

Many scattered accounts have appeared concerning the dust which has fallen in considerable quantities on vessels on the African side of the Atlantic Ocean. It has appeared to me desirable to collect these accounts, more especially since Professor Ehrenberg's remarkable discovery that the dust consists in considerable part of Infusoria and Phytolitharia. I have found fifteen distinct statements of dust having fallen; and several of these refer to a period of more than one day, and some to a considerably longer time. Other less distinct accounts have also appeared. At the end of this paper I will give the particular cases, and will here only refer to the more striking ones and make a few general remarks.