456 



NATURE 



{Sept. 7, 1882 



Till January 14 no glimmer even was visible from 

 Naples. On that evening, howe.er, there was a slight 

 red reflection, which continued till the 24th, when much 

 vapour was escaping. The next day it became quiet. 



February 2, slight glimmer visible again. 



From February 19 to April 23, the mountain remained 

 very quiet; only the slightest glimmer visible at night. 

 That day I visited the crater. 



The crater and its rim of December and January 

 occupies about one-third of the plain of lava tilling the 

 1 872 crater. The former overlaps the latter in a north- 

 east direction, and is not therefore concentric. As we 

 cautiously mount its northern edge to avoid the falling 

 1 cakes, it is seen that the craterial hollow has very 

 steep sides, about 40 metres deep, and 150 metres in 

 diameter. It showed the usual interlamination of lava 

 and its fragmentary products. Rising from its floor was 

 a small cone of eruption, that had been building up since 

 the beginning of the year, its centre, of course, occupied 

 by the vent, but no crater. The fissure mentioned in my 

 last report was gradually filling up by the crumbling in of 

 its sides ; there was still oozing a small stream of lava 

 lrom its lower extremity. This gentle flow of fluid rock 

 had been going on without interruption since December, 

 and during that period had been thrown out toa consider- 

 able amount, which, however, from slow exit soon cooled 

 and had not enough impetus to travel far, chief!) , 

 itself up at the toe of the cone, and spreading a short dis- 

 tance over the Atrio and Yalle dell' Inferno. 



On May 13, became slightly more active, which con- 

 tinued till the 17th, the day of the eclipse of the sun. 1 In 

 that evening the reflection was very brilliant from a much 

 increased flow of lava on the same side. From M 

 till June 6, gradually diminishing activity, espei 

 during the last week.' During the 4th and 5th. Prof. 

 Palmieri recorded a continued as shown by 



the Vi Tvatory and University seismographs. 



That disturbance was the forerunner of a sharp earth- 

 quake shock, which occurred at 4'47 a.m. at Isernia and 

 Vinchiaturo in the Appenines. At 8 a.m., when 1 scanned 

 the crater with a glass, there seemed to be an increased 

 volu lie of vapour from the fumaroles, and the main 

 column was much more bulky and dense. In the eve 

 the explosions reached a considerable height, and were 

 verv brilliant. < in the 7th the same, but on the 8th. quieter. 



We have here a small but good example of seismic 

 energy exhibiting its focus of intensity in a mountain 

 range, yet at the same time setting up sympathetic 

 activity in the neighbouring volcano. In fact, I believe 

 that if more accurate and regular observations were 

 carried on of earth tremors and the phases of volcanic 

 activity, at many points scattered over such a countrj as 

 Italy, much might be learned of the internal anatomy 

 and physiology, so to speak, of such an area. 



I say Italy in particular, for many reasons. The prin- 

 cipal, however, are its simple structure, thus avoiding the 

 various complications that must necessarily arise if its 

 geology were very intricate. Again, the history of many 

 of its principal seismic events are far more complete and 

 extend farther back than that of any other country. In 

 fact, we may look forward to the time when seism 

 and vulcanolegy will be placed on much the same 

 as meteorology, and probably with equally important 

 results. 



The mountain from the last date to the 29th remained 

 tranquil, no reflection being discernible at night. That 

 evening, however, the ejections were to be seen distinctly. 

 The following day it was the same, but on July 1 the 

 activity had increased, and the lava that had now been 

 ted for weeks burst forth again at its old exit. 



The mountain now took on somewhat an intermittent 

 phase. On the third it was quieter, 4U1 the same, 5th, 

 6th, and 7th more active, 8th, 9th and ioth quieter, 1 ith 

 and 12th more active, 13th, 14th, and 15th quiet. 



On July 16 I made a minute examination of the crater. 

 Owing to a favourable wind, and with a muffle over the 

 face, the edge of the innermost one could be reached. 

 This, on which we were standing, pas the cone of erup- 

 tion that was commenced to be formed, in the bottom of 

 the December crater, and whose growth had been going 

 on up to June 29, when the increased activity of that and 

 the following days, converted the top of the chimney into 

 a small crater, at the same time scattering the materials 

 on its outer Hanks ami increasing the size of the cone. 

 The cavity, of an irregular conical form, was about 45 

 metres deep, and its apex could have been but little above 

 the level of the outflow of lava that was still proceeding 

 from the old lateral fissure. At the bottom of the crater 

 was the bocca or mouth. Its position was slightly 

 excentric, and irregular in form, being about 2X3 metres. 

 It was apparently undercut by the lava that could be dis- 

 tinguished boiling up at a short distance from its edge, 

 the issue of the ordinary column of vapours, carrying 

 n explosion a few fragments of the plastic mass, 

 thus commencing a fourth cone within the inner crater. 

 Part of the southern wall had crumbled away, showing 

 well the stratification of the beds. 



Between the inner co nil that of 1881, that 



is tn say, in the fosse-like excavation separating the two, 

 and inwards the south-west (below smallest figure in 

 k< tch ), another bocca had opened. From 9 to 10 o'clock 

 a.m., during which my examination had been carried on, 

 only an abundant column of vapour had been emitted. 

 When standing quite close to it, however, it 

 started into increased activity, emitting a column of ash 

 and lapilli, perpendicularly to some height, reminding 

 one in form of the great geyser column of Iceland. Tins 

 was due to the slipping of a part of the outer wall, which 

 exhibited the stratification of the December cone. A con- 

 tinual 1 lay was maintained tor about one hour and a half, 

 when tranquility was restored. Mixed with the stones 

 and lapilli that were being ejected were a itw fragments 

 of molten lava, demonstrating the opening to lie in direct 

 communication with the principal mass. Althot 

 could approach the edge of the opening nothing could be 

 seen, lor the amount of vapour issuing. On thai 

 the Usual hydrochloric acid smell n mt mixed 



with a little sulphurous, and 1 fancy I could detect a dis- 

 tinct odour of hydrofluoric acid, which is the first time. 

 Of course it is known to exist in small quantities always. 



The old lava forming the plain within the 1872 crater, 

 and from which rise the two small cones above described, 

 is much decomposed anil covered by fumaroles, in a 

 direction extending due south-west, that is to say, 

 scattered along the same radius as the crateret above 

 mentioned. It would seem from this to be the external 

 of a dyke which has extended in that direction. 

 We might therefore infer that if any lateral opening 

 should soon form it would be somewhere on the south- 

 west ol the cone. H.J.Johnston i 



THE HUNGARIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE 



Budapest, August 28 



THE twenty-second meeting of the Hungarian Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science has ju it 

 been concluded. It was held at Debreczin a town of 

 52,000 inhabitants, and the capital ol the great Hungarian 

 Plain. Two hundred and eighty members were present, 

 and of these 132 joined the Medical Section, while the 

 remainder were divided pretty evenly between the Physi- 

 cal and Economic Sections. The Physical Section 

 includes Chemistry, Mathematics, and Astronomy ; and 

 the Economic Section includes matters relating to Social 

 Science and Agriculture. Unfortunately the Association 

 does not represent Hungarian science. There is a 



