90 



NATURE 



[November 24, 1892 



gradually declined till July 4, when its normal state was 

 reached. The eruptions were again violent, with emission of 

 lava from the i6th to the 23rd of July. 



The mouths on the edge of the Sciara, which were contem- 

 poraneously active during the above period, were four in num- 

 ber — two at the northern end and two at the western end. One 

 of the former pair was opened by the explosion of June 30, and 

 from it was ejected the greater part of the detrital material of 

 the eruption, so that around it a cone has been built up, trun- 

 cated by a crater, sub-elliptic in form, of about 60 metres in 

 maximum diameter. The height of this new cone above the old 

 edge of the Sciara is about 50 metres. The other crater is 

 situated on the deep fissure mentioned above, and at night, from 

 the sea the incandescent lava could be seen in free communica- 

 tion with the atmosphere — a circumstance which explains the 

 fact that the explosions from this crater were rare and of feeble 

 intensity. The two western ones were situated one below the 

 other with an interval of about 30 metres. Near the lowest, three 

 large fumaroles gave forth dense columns of steam, while other 

 lesser fumaroles were plentifully scattered about. The majority 

 of the explosions took place from these two mouths. During 

 this same period, lava was emitted three times, (i) on June 24, 

 soon after the first two explosions from the most western part 

 of the Sciara ; (2) on June 30, from the crater on the fissure ; 

 (3) on July 16, from the central part of the Sciara, between the 

 first two. They all reached the sea, and since the second stream 

 doubled itself round an obstacle about half way in its course, 

 four new points were formed on the shore. The thickness of 

 the lava at these points varied from 4 to 6 metres. Specimens 

 of the lava collected from the most western stream showed that 

 it consisted of an almost homogeneous blackish-broMn paste, 

 compact in the interior, but becoming more and more porous 

 and reddish in colour towards the exterior. Some of the larger 

 cavities were internally covered with a shining brown patina. 

 Externally it was covered with a rough crust, reddish-brown in 

 colour, and of scoriaceous aspect. It was sensibly attracted by 

 the magnet, and melted without effervescence to a brownish- 

 green glass. Crystals of plagioclase, augite and olivine were 

 apparent. In section, about two-thirds was rendered opaque 

 and black by very minute microlitic granules of magnetite which 

 were intimately mixed with a transparent glassy base, colourless 

 or inclining to greenish. The remaining third consisted of a 

 great number of colourless transparent microlites of plagioclase. 

 Fluidal structure was only just apparent. In this microlitic 

 paste were scattered crystals of plagioclase, augite, and olivine. 

 The augites were greenish in section and possessed a feeble 

 pleochroism. The olivines were corroded and irregularly frac- 

 tured. 



Analysis gave the following numbers : — 



Etna. 

 Mean of analyses of 

 Stromboli. to iiiLdern lavas. 



Silica. 50-71 49-45 



Alumina ... I3'99 19*30 



Ferric oxide 5-13 I n-S-' 



Ferrous oxide 9'io \ 



Manganous oxide -42 — 



Lime... ... 10 81 10-21 



Magnesia ... 406 3-69 



Potash ... 302 1-33 



Soda 2 87 3-58 



Loss on ignition 24 — 



CI and SO. (traces) — 



100-35 



99-38 



The lava is similar to other lavas of Stromboli, and to show 

 the great similarity between the lavas of Stromboli and Etna, 

 the mean of the numbers of twenty analyses of modern Etna 

 lavas is appended for comparison. 



The scoria, lapilli, and ash of the eruption present no special 

 features, but are what might be expected from a lava of the 

 above composition. 



Although the volcano had reached a state of comparative 

 calm at the end of July, this did not last for very long. Towards 

 the end of August fresh signs of activity gave warning of an 

 approaching explosion, which took place on August 31. It 

 was preceded by an earthquake a few seconds before, and as a 

 result a vast column of ash rose above the volcano, while scoria 

 and other projectiles were shot out to a considerable distance. 

 Soon after, a fine ash, dark red in colour (instead of black as in 



June-July), fell over the island, covering the ground in some 

 places to a depth of several centimetres. On the evening of 

 September i dense columns of ash were again emitted, and in 

 the afternoon of September 3 the whole crater was enveloped 

 in a thick mantle of steam, in the midst of which could be dimly 

 seen a reddish-grey column of ash rising with extraordinary 

 violence to a great height, when it spread out into a volcanic 

 "pine." A Iresh stream of lava was also observed. Eruptions 

 succeeded each other at short intervals, accompanied by con- 

 tinuous rumblings, interrupted now and again by loud explo- 

 sions, like heavy artillery. As far as could be observed, on the 

 western side of the crater was a single mouth of almost circular 

 form, 10 metres in diameter, which was most active in sending 

 up vast columns of ash and projectiles of all kinds. To the east 

 could be seen one or more little mouths, which tranquilly 

 emitted large volumes of steam, while in the midst a large 

 apeiture, 30 metres in diameter, irregular in form and deeply 

 fissured, was in powerful action. The activity, however, gradu- 

 ally quieted down, and towards the end of the year the 

 volcano resumed its normal state. 



In conclusion, it is useful to compare this eruptive phase of 

 Stromboli with other contemporaneous seismo-volcanic phe- 

 nomena of the Italian peninsula. It appears that earthquakes 

 occurred in various districts in the early months of 1891, 

 especially one on June 7 in the Verona district, rather severe, oc- 

 casioning loss of life. Vesuvius was rather more active than 

 usual during the whole of June, and in correspondence with this 

 the great fumarole of the solfatara at Pozzuoli, increased in tem- 

 perature. It is particularly interesting to note that Vulcano, 

 the other active volcano of the Lipari Islands, remained in per- 

 fect calm during the whole period, emitting only vapour from 

 the fumaroles. As, however, the character of the eruptions and 

 the lithological composition of the material ejected from this 

 volcano differ so greatly from those of Stromboli, it is tolerably 

 certain that there is no free and direct communication between 

 the reservoirs of these two volcanoes. In fact, Stromboli pre- 

 sents a much greater analogy with Etna. The similarity of the 

 lithological composition of the lavas of these two volcanoes has 

 already been referred to, and, further, Prof. Mercalli observes 

 that the last four or five eruptions of Etna have all been imme- 

 diately preceded or followed by a paroxysm at Stromboli. It 

 is thus possible that there is a real relation between them. 



L. W. FULCHER. 



NO. 1204, VOL. 47] 



A LARGE METEORITE FROM WESTERN 

 A USTRALIA. 

 T N the Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Minera' 

 -*■ logical Society o{ July, 1887 (vol. vii.) Mr. L. Fletcher' 

 M.A., F.R.S., president of the Society, describes four speci- 

 mens of a new meteoric iron found at Voundegin in Western 

 Australia. They were discovered about three-quarters of a mile 

 to the north-west from the top of Penkarring Rock, in the above 

 district, about seventy miles from York. These fragments were 

 found by Alfred Eaton, a mounted police constable, when on 

 duty in the district of Youndegin, when he brought in one of the 

 four pieces he found on January 5, 1884. Mr. Fletcher states 

 that the late Mr. Edward T. Hardman, F.G.S., the then 

 Government geologist, expressed his belief in the meteoric origin 

 of these iron masses. Later the above-named Alfred liaton was 

 sent with a native assistant with instructions to bring in the 

 other three pieces, and at the same time an unsuccessful search 

 was made for additional fragments. In the above account it is 

 stated that the four pieces were lying loose on the surface, three 

 of them close together, and the fourth fifteen feet away. They 

 weighed respectively 25flbs., 24 lbs., 17^ lbs., and6Ibs., the 

 largest and smallest fragments are now in the British Museum 

 collection, and the specimen of 24 lbs. is in the Geological 

 Museum at Freemantle, and the fourth piece, weighing 17I lbs., 

 was presented to the Melbourne Museum in Victoria. 



The new specimen now in my possession was discovered last 

 year, and weighs 382^ lbs., and measures 22| inches high, 

 20^ inches wide, and 134 inches in its greatest thickness. In 

 form it is roughly convex on one side and concave on the other, 

 on both sides of which are large depressions or pittings siinilar 

 to those usually observed on other large masses of meteoric iron. 

 It is somewhat triangular in outline, but with irregular sides. 

 It has one small hole quite through the mass near the top, and 

 numerous deep holes, one near the bottom left-hand corner 



