250 REPORT — 1875. 



These numbers indicate, according to Pisani's view, the presence of a hy- 

 persthene rather than a bronzite, a hypersthene richer in iron than that of 

 Tarsund, Norfray. The ratio of iron oxide to magnesia is the same as that 

 in the bronzites of the Haiuholz, Shalka, Borkut, and several other meteorites. 



On some grains of this mineral a well-marked cleavage was distuignished 

 along one direction ; in others a disposition to cleave along a second direction 

 was remarked : on examining such fragments in the polarizing microscope, 

 however, one of the optic axes was almost always seen, while the other is in- 

 visible. The angle of the optic axes, as measured in oil, was approximately 

 determined, malcing 2H=104°. The bisectrix is negative ; but whether it 

 was the acute or obtuse bisectrix was not determined. 



This meteorite is remarkable for containing no metallic iron, and a very 

 large proportion of bronzite or hypersthene. 



Daubree, during an examination of microscopic sections, noted many cha- 

 racters which favour the assumption that the chief constituent of this meteo- 

 rite is bronzite rather than hypersthene. Such are : — the absence of dichroism, 

 the frequent occurrence of the right angle iu the contour of the crystals, and 

 the fineness of the striae, peculiar to bronzite. When magnified 800 diameters, 

 most of the crystals are found to enclose yellowish brown rarely translucent 

 matter, with very varied contour, and occasionally with a crystaUiue form, 

 that of a modified oblique prism, which is that of pyroxene. They are ranged 

 in rectilinear series, which are not always orientated parallel to the axes of 

 the crystal. Here and there, adhering to the crystals, a brown vitreous sub- 

 stance, which is without action on polarized light, is seen ; and iu it occur 

 cavities of relatively large dimensions, closely resembling those usually found 

 iu basaltic rocks. The Eoda meteorite, with the single exception that it 

 contains no iron, bears a great likeness to the meteorite of Lodran (1868, 

 October 1st), and establishes a new link between cosmical rocks and those 

 belonging to our planet. If, says Daubree, we were to refuse to admit the 

 testimony of those persons who afiirm that they witnessed the fall of this 

 fragment of rock, the characters of its crust would fully attest its cosmical 



1872. August 31st, 5.15 a.m. (Rome mean time). — Orvinio (formerly 

 Canemorto), near Eome. [Long. 12°36'E., lat. 42° 8'N.]* 



A meteor was seen at daybreak by many observers in tlie provinces of 

 Rome, Umbria, Abruzzo, and Terra di Lavoro. At first it appeared like a 

 large star of a red colour. It increased in brilliancy as it traversed the sky iu a 

 northerly direction, leaving a white train. At a certain point it became brilli- 

 antly white, and then vanished, a luminous cloud remaining, which was visible 

 for a quarter of an hour. The meteor appears to have crossed the coast-line at a 

 point near Terracina, to have passed over Piperno in a direction 7°W. of N., and, 

 moving N.N.E.over Cori and Geunazzano,to have explodedover the latter town. 

 After the lapse of two to three minutes, two reports were heard, the first like 

 that of a cauTion, the second like a series of from three to six guns fired in 

 rapid succession. The greater part of the stone fell at Orvinio, over which 



* A. Seccbi, ' Comp. Rend.' Ixxv. p. 655. — G. S. Ferrari, ' Ricerclio fisico-astronomiche 

 iutorno all' Uranolito caduto nell' agro Romano il ?)1 di Agosto, 1872. Roma : Tip. Blel. 

 Arti, 1873.— P. Keller, ' Pogg. Ann.' el. p. 171 ; ' Mineralog. Mitt.' 1874, p. 258.— M. Lo 

 Chevalier Michel-Etienue de Rossi and G. Bellucci, ' Atti dell' Ace. poutif. di Nuovi 

 Lincei,' 1873. — 'Les Moude.s,' 25th December, 1873.— L. Sipocz, 'Mineralog. Mitt.' 1874, 

 p. 244.— G. Tschermak, ' Sitz. Ak, Wiss. Wien, Ixs. November Heft, 1874.— The.se Re- 

 ports, 1873, p. 384. 



