390 REPORT—1868. 
3. Villa Nova, Casale, Piedmont, 1868, February 29th, 11” a.m. (local time). 
Note by P. F. Denza (Bullettino Meteorologico del Coll. R. Alberto di 
Moncallieri, Turin).—A mass of fire, surrounded by cloud, moving with great 
velocity, was seen at a considerable height above Villa Nova (E. long. 8° 27’, 
N. lat. 45° 8’) near Casale. It was followed by two violent detonations, at 
an interval of a few seconds, and by a prolonged report, like rapid file-firing, 
which was heard as far as Alessandria, seventeen English miles from Casale. 
Three stones reached the ground, each of which struck the earth with a heavy 
sound. The locality of the fall is between Villa Nova and La Mota dei Conti 
(E. long. 8° 30’). The largest of the stones, weighing about 153 Ibs. avoird. 
fell north of Villa Nova, and buried itself in the ground to a depth of 14 
inches. The second, weighing nearly 3 lbs., struck the earth a mile and a half 
from the first, a few feet from a peasant, at whose feet it buried itself in the 
earth to a depth of 20 inches. The third, which was probably 3 lb. or ? Ib. 
in weight, struck the ground close to a lady, who witnessed its descent, two 
miles from the spot where the second stone descended; and it was broken in 
pieces by the’ fall. 
The second stone presents in its outline a series of sinuosities, while the 
largest stone is bounded on three faces by plane surfaces, meeting each other 
at right angles. Its entire surface is coated with a yellowish bronze-coloured 
glaze, resulting from external fusion of its substance, which is also found on 
one face of each of the broken fragments of the smallest stone. The freshly 
fractured surfaces exhibit the interior structure of the aérolite, whitish, and 
granular in its texture, like fine-grained granite, wherein the microscope re- 
veals throughout a number of bright metallic specks. The stones are strongly 
attracted by the magnet. ‘Their specific gravity is 3°6. 
This is the third shower of aérolites that has occurred in the vicinity of 
Casale during the last interval of fifty years. A large meteor was observed 
on the Adriatic coast on the morning of the aérolitic fall, and another large 
fireball on the evening of the same day at Alessandria. 
b. Large Meteor of the Ist January, 1868, 7° 27" a.m. (See Catalogue.) 
At Ropley, Hampshire.—The appearance of the streak is thus described 
by Mr. A. Harding :—*‘ The meteor left behind it a luminous train which 
appeared as a streak of silver in the sky, disjointed about 12° from the point 
of starting; and in the latter portion two bright spots were visible, the first 
nearly round, and the second pear-shaped, the tail being still produced about 
1° beyond the latter spot. About two minutes after its appearance the for- 
mer part of the train took a wavy motion, which continued for five minutes, 
when a cloud intercepted the view. Fifteen minutes after the appearance of 
the meteor the cloud cleared away, and the streak apparently was as bright 
as ever; but the cloud again interposed; and when the streak was again 
seen, at forty-seven minutes past seven, it was perceptibly fading, having 
lasted fully twenty minutes. At this time the sky became overcast, prevent- 
ing my seeing the final disappearance of this magnificent meteor.” 
At Southampton.—Appearance of the streak, as described by Mr. F. L. 
Wollaston :—“ At 7" 30™ a.m. there was a perfectly clear sky, except a few 
clouds very low on the horizon; a slight breath of air, just enough to show 
its direction by the smoke of chimneys, coming from about N.E. On the dis- 
appearance of the meteor there was a narrow line of light throughout the 
whole of its course. The greater part of this disappeared within a few mi- 
nutes; but small portions, gradually disappearing, remained, assuming the 
appearance of very narrow, thin, white clouds. One very short part (say, 
