Meridian.— Aerolites.—Hail Storm. 235 
MEASUREMENT OF THE MERIDIAN IN RUSSIA. 
A series of operations for anew measure of the meridian in the 
Russian provinces of the Baltic, will take place during the sum- 
mer. M. Struve, professor of Astronomy, and rector of the uni- 
versity of Dorpat, will commence his labours at the 56th degree 
of north latitude, on the meridian of the observatory of the uni- 
versity of Dorpat. The expenses will be defrayed by the univer- 
sity. The emperor has given 2000 ducats to procure the neces- 
sary instruments, and Dr. Walbeck of the Swedish university of 
Abo will act in concert with professor Struve to render the mea- 
sure more complete. 
AEROLITES. 
A large aérolite fell on the 15th June last at Juvinas, a village 
in the arrondissement of l’Argentiére, department de l’Ardéche, 
respecting which some very accurate details have heen preserved. 
It fell about four o’clock P.M., the sky being clear, and the sun 
shining bright ; a continued rolling noise was heard for above 
three minutes, during which time four distinct detonations took 
place. The noise was heard at Tarascon, at Nismes, and still 
further off. A brilliant fire was seen in the air by persons at 
Nismes, St. Thome, (a league to the west of Viviers,) and Aps, 
a league further off. All agree in saying it resembled a fire burn- 
ing like a star, and descending slowly in the N.W., and which on 
disappearing left a train of smoke. Search was made in the 
ground where the fire descended ; and at the depth of five feet a 
large stone was discovered weighing 220|bs., or 91 kilogrammes. 
In a further account of this aérolite given by M. L. A. D. Fir- 
man, it is stated that another meteoric stone a kilogramme in 
weight was found a little distance off, and several small ones at 
Mayras near Juvinas. M.de Malbos, who happened to be at 
Barias when the stone fell, was looking towards the place at the 
time when it first appeared. He saw a globe of fire descend per- 
pendicularly from the heavens. He showed it to his workmen, 
and counting his pulse estimated the time between its appearance 
and the explosion that followed, at five seconds. He observed 
also the obscure vapoury trace left by the meteorolite in the air. 
It was not continued to the earth, but ceased to be emitted before 
the stone reached the ground, and remained seven or eight mi- 
nutes undissipated.—Journ. de Phys. xciii. page’71. 
EXTRAORDINARY HAIL STORM. 
On the 27th of June last, at Usnaw in the government of Riew, 
in Russia, there fell a shower of hailstones solarge and hard that 
they killed a flock of 200 sheep, and cruelly mutilated the shep- 
herd and his dogs, 
Gg 2 LIST 
