From the National Intelligencer. The ‘+ Shower of Flesh and Blood.” | Our readers are greatly indebted to the Princi- pal of that excellent institution the Alexandria Boarding Schvol, for the following scientific elu- eidation of the phenomenon in ‘Tennessee, desig- naicd by the above heading : ALExanvata Boanping ScHoor,7 mo. 21, 1841- Farnxvs Gates & Seaton: I notice in the Intelligencer of to-day, under the head of “ At- mospherical Phenomenon: an article fromm the Nashville Bonuer, describing what is stated to have been a “shower of flesh and blood,” in’ the vicinity of Lebanon, Tennessee. ‘he same ac- cuunt.or a similar onc, has also been published 1 in several other papers. ‘I'bere are many persons ‘of that peculiar temperament that is unfaverably | allected oy intelligence of so unusual and awfula ; character ; tu such it may be a reliet to learn that ‘the phenomenon alluded to finds its ready expla- {nation ina well-asceriained fact in the economy of insects. Jn the interesting and instructive : work of Kinny & Srence, on the «Natural His- | tory of Insecis,” are the following remarks, which ‘explain the whole sul-ject : ' Many species of Lepidoptera, [Butterflies] 'when they emerge from the pupa or chrysalis “state, dircharge a reddish fluid, which, in some instances, Where their bumbers bave been con- siderable, has produced the appearance of a show- er of blood , and by this natural fact, all thoce _ bloody showers, recorded by historians as preter- natural, and regarded, where they happened, as | fearful proguostics of impending evils, are stripped of their terrors, and recuced to the class of events that happen in the common course of Nature. That inseets are the cause ef there [suppoeed} showers is no recent discovery ; but Sleiden re- lates thal, in the year 1553, 0 vast multitude of hutterflics swarmed through a great part of Ger- many, and sprinkled plants, leaves, buildings, clothes, and men, with bloody drops, as if it had rained blood. Bat the most interesting account of anevent of this kind is given by Reaumur, fruin whom we learn that, in (he beginning of July, 1608, the suburbs of Aix, and a cunsidera- ble extent of country round it, were coverd wih what appeared-to be a s:ower of blood.— We may conceive the amazement and stupor of the populace upon such a discovery, the alarm of the citizens, the grave reasonings of the learn- ped. Allagreed, however, in attributing the ap- | pearance to the powers of darkness, and in re- | garding it as the prognostic and precursor of sume direful misfurtune about to befall them — | Fear and prejudice would have taken deep root | upon this occasion, and might have preduced fa tal effects upon some weak minds, had not M Peirse, a celebrated philosopher of that place, | paid at@ntion to insects. A chrysalis, which he preserved in his cabmet, let him into the secret | of this mysterious shower, Hearing a fluttering, pwhich informed bim bis invect was arrived at its “perfect state, he opened the box in which he kept it; the animal flew out, aud left behind it a red spot. Hecompared this with the spots of the vloody shower, and found they were alike. At the same time he observed there was a proigious quantity of butterfles flying about, and that the drops of the mirgculous rain were not to be found upon the tiles, ner even upon the upper surface of the stones, bnt chieily in cavities and places where Tain cauld noteasily come. Chus did this judicious observer dispel the ignorant fears and terror which a natural pbenomnon had caused.” —Vol. J, page 35. _ Those wishing further information on the sub- ject will find itin Comsiuck’s Physiology, and ta No. SNNIY of Harper's Family Library. lhe instance mentioned in the Nashville ac- count, of flesh appearing with the blood, no doubt Was the result of the insect having perished in the Process: of Wransfornation. BENJAMIN HALLOWELL.