380 WASHINGTON AND DAY VOLCANOES OF SOUTHERN ITALY 



though sometimes exactly so — apparently a chance effect. The color of 

 the smoke of both columns was generally a tawny yellow, changing sud- 

 denly every now and then to white. As felt by us, the smoke was warm 

 but not oppressively hot, though the abundance of HCl and SO, vapors 

 made it and the air in the funnel rather suffocating to breathe. 



No liquid lava nor red glow on the smoke could be seen, but the vicinity 

 of the bocca was sprinkled with small fragments of very fresh, light 

 brown, pumiceous lava, to which adhered short (5-10 cm.) strands of 

 Pele's hair. This pumice was thought l)y Doctor Malladra to have been 

 ejected Ijut a few days before. An analysis of it, recently made and to ])e 

 published elsewhere, shows that it closely resembles in chemical compo- 

 sition the lavas of 1872, 1903, and 1906. There were also many frag- 

 ments of a porphyritic lava, much decomposed by the acid vapors, but 

 with the euhedral augite phenocrysts fresh and unattacked. According 

 to Doctor Malladra, this dated from December, 1913. An analysis (by 

 H. S. W.) of salts collected by Doctor Malladra in May, 1913, from near 

 the orifice, shows that they consist largely of aphthitalite, a double sul- 

 phate of potassium and sodium, with less alum and ferronatrite and a 

 very small amount of cupric chloride. 



On the first part of the ascent, up a long talus slope of large blocks, 

 the very active Yellow Fumarole was passed, but unfortunately, owing to 

 the lack of protective masks, it could not be approached very closely, and 

 no temperature measurements were possible in the absence of a ther- 

 mometer. On this slope, which extended above the bocca and along the 

 battery of f umaroles, the acid vapors were very troublesome. 



Continued rainy weather caused us to abandon Vesuvius temporarily 

 for Etna, and shortly after our departure, as we were informed by Doctor 

 Malladra, the crater filled with a "sullen" heavy smoke, which slowly 

 poured over the edges and absolutely precluded any descent. Doctor 

 Malladra has recently (December, 1914) written us that there is much 

 increased activity, a small cone having been formed in the funnel above 

 and around the opening and the funnel being half filled with lava. 



Etna 



The last great eruption of Etna took place in March and April, 1910, 

 when a series of bocche (mouths) was formed along a north and south 

 (radial) fissure which opened on the south slope of the mountain. These 

 formed a line of explosion craters followed by cones of ash and scoria, to 

 the last and largest of which, situated some 1,324 meters below and 5.5 

 km. to the south of the summit, was given the name of Monte Kicco. 

 From the south side of this cone issucil the great stream of lava, which 



