456 



NA TURE 



[September 7, 1905 



Lava Stream of May 27, 1905. 



In the months of April and May of this year Vesuvius 

 began to show an increased activity, and in the crater, 

 which was about 80 metres in depth, a small cone began 

 to form ; it increased rapidly, and by the middle of May 

 had risen to a height of about 15 metres above the level 

 of the enclosing crater. 



From May 25 to May 27 violent explosions occurred, 

 which were heard in all the villages on the mountain-side. 



2 of lava stream of August 26, 1Q03. - --- 

 by Prof. G. Mercalji, taken April 15, 1904. 



photograph 



and were accompanied by the ejection of much red-hot 

 and liquid matter. These e.xplosions ceased almost 

 suddenly on the evening of May 27, and at about 6.45. a 

 small lateral outlet, "A," burst through the north-west 

 flank of the great cone at a height of about 1245 metres, 

 .and at the point where a seam in the inountain-side showed 

 where the traces of the last eruption of August 26, 1903, 

 •still lingered. 



A few hours after the first, a second outlet was formed, 

 ithen a third. " B," both lower down, at an altitude of 



about 1 180 metres, and both westward of the first, and 

 nearer the station of the funicular railway. 



For some weeks lava issued from these outlets and 

 flowed down the mountain-side in two parallel streams, 

 which from Naples had the appearance of two lines of 

 fire running down the slope of the great cone ; towards 

 June 25 the current from " A " ceased, but the stream 

 ;from " B " continued, and flows more actively than before. 



On reaching the base of the great cone (800 metres), the 

 NO. 187 I, VOL. 72] 



lava piled itself up in the space between the cone and the 

 hill formed by the lava-flow of 1895 ; a stream branched 

 off, first toward Mount Somma, but afterwards in a south- 

 south-west direction, and a small stream more fluid than 

 the main body ran to within a short distance of the electric 

 railway which plies between the observatory and the lower 

 funicular station. Near the fumarole " B " a small heap 

 of scoriae (a driblet-cone), about 4-5 metres in height, has 

 sprung up ; but apart from the explosions attendant on its 

 formation, and which only lasted a few days, there has 

 been no disturbance in the regular flow of the great 

 streams. 



The line of white steam seen in Fig. 2 shows the 

 position of the outlets and the course of the lava streams 

 as seen from the observatory ridge ; the black smoke 

 issuing from the crater indicates the cloud of non- 

 incandescent dust which was cast up after the partial fall- 

 ing in of the walls of the smaller cone on the summit. 



We may perhaps attribute the frequency in these latter 

 years of the lava streams from lateral outlets to the in- 

 creased height of Vesuvius (now about 1330 metres), for 

 the column of fluid lava, when inside the cone, is forced 

 up to a higher level and exerts greater hydrostatic pressure 

 on the sides of it, which are, moreover, much seamed. 

 Formerly, when the mountain was lower, as, for instance, 

 between the years 1840 and 1850, the lava streams generally 

 flowed from the top. 



The Millport Marine Station. 



Since the efficiency of such an institution as a biological 

 station is so largely dependent upon the completeness of 

 its library, I do not think any apology need be offered 

 for appealing to those readers of Naturf, who are interested 

 in marine biology for assistance in an endeavour to bring 

 together for the use of those worliing at the Millport 

 Marine Station as complete a collection as may be possible 

 of works having any bearing on the fauna and flora of 

 the European seas. The station already possesses a con- 

 siderable proportion of the more important monographs, 

 as well as a number of useful pamphlets ; but there are 

 still lacking many reference works of importance, and I 

 am sure that copies bf some of these will exist among 

 the duplicates in many a naturalist's library. I would 

 also urge the claims of the Millport Station upon the 

 generosity of authors for separate copies of any papers 

 they may publish ; and in this connection it should be 

 noted that the council of the association has recently 

 agreed that all material intended for private research 

 shall be supplied absolutely free of charge. 



This occasion may also be utilised to point out some of 

 the advantages which the Millport Marine Station offers 

 to the research student. The fauna of the Clyde area is 

 an extremely rich one, and the water in the vicinity of 

 the station is of most remarkable purity, so that even 

 quite delicate species can be readily kept alive in the tanks. 

 A small steamer, the Mermaid, specially built for scientific 

 research, is constantly at work during the summer months, 

 and brings in daily an abundant supply of material. The 

 tank-room, only part of which is open to the public, has 

 recently been greatly extended, and now has facilities 

 which are probably unsurpassed anywhere for the accommo- 

 dation of invertebrates and the smaller vertebrates ; the 

 tanks are mostly of glazed fire-clay, and capitally adapted 

 fur observation and experiment. Besides a well-equipped 

 private research room, there are seven screened compart- 

 ments in the general laboratory affording ample accommo- 

 dation for nine students, while a large class-room recently 

 added has benches for forty-five students. 



The station is lavishly equipped with apparatus of all 

 kinds — for instance, the student will find here every facility 

 for advanced physiological work. In fine, I think it may 

 fairly be claimed that nowhere in the British Isles will 

 the student find facilities for research on marine biology 

 such as exist at Millport; and, indeed, I know of no 

 marine station elsewhere which can, all things considered, 

 offer greater advantages to the biologist. Lastly, it may 

 be mentioned that although the fees are very low, there is 

 never any difficulty in arranging for a free table. 



S. Pace (Director). 



Millport Marine Station, N.B. 



