John Van, an eminent painter who flourished about the middle of the last century. He was born at Utrecht: and after having studied under several masters, entered the school of Cornelius Poelenberg, whose style of painting he imitated with great success. He painted both history and landscapes; and his pictures, which are very highly finished, are held in great estimation. He amused himself with the point; and some landscapes from Poelenberg, together with other subjects from his own compositions, are attributed to him.

BRONTIÆ, or Thunder-stones, in Natural History. These were supposed, according to the opinion of many philosophers, to have only an imaginary existence. But of late years the attention of naturalists has been much directed to stones that have fallen from the clouds. The fact seems to be sufficiently established; but whether the stones are formed in the atmosphere during the thunder storm which generally accompanies their fall, are ejected from a volcano, or projected, as some suppose, from the moon, there is great difference of opinion.