108 
NATURE 
[Fune 4, 1885 
VESUVIUS 
So writing on May 3 Vesuvius has continued to 
pour forth a continuous stream of lava. From the 
lowering of the general level of lava in the main chimney 
no reflection could be seen at its mouth, as is usually the 
case. This state of things continued till the 6th, when 
the vapour could only escape in intermittent puff in con- 
sequence of the accumulation of déér7s from the crumbling 
edges of the inner crater edge. As these puffs escaped, 
they resembled balls of dark grey smoke, from which fell a 
shower of fine ash, the result of the grinding up of the 
fine materials that had fallen in as above described, and 
partially blocked the upper outlet. The crater plain was 
scattered over with ash and rounded fragments of lava 
from which that had been ground off. Soon after a faint 
glimmer was visible, which gradually increased each 
night until it came to a stationary point, since which little 
change has taken place. The lava still continues to flow 
with more or less regularity, but from the small quantity 
it only gutters and collects on the slope of the great cone. 
The whole series of events since May 2 is identical with 
what occurred under similar circumstances in December, 
1881, and January, 1882, which I have already described 
in these pages. The whole sequence of phenomena are 
easily explicable on the most simple mechanical principles, 
and do not require that valcanological magic which, even 
at the present time, is too often employed in describing 
volcanoes or earthquakes. 
I may mention that the above estimate might seem too 
low as the surface of the streams moved quicker (about 
I m. in 17 seconds), but the lava was particularly viscuous 
on this occasion, and towards the edges it could not have 
progressed more than the above distance in two or three 
minutes. A similar retardation no doubt occurred wher- 
ever in contact with its channel, so that I think the 
estimate of I m. per minute is a very fair one. If we 
allow an average outflow of 5000 cm. during the last 
twenty-two days (z.e. from May 2 to 24), which I am sure 
many would think under-rated, we have the prodigious 
output of 110,000 cm. ; the product of what would usually 
be called a very small eruption. But the flow has not 
stopped, and shows no indication of so doing. 
This large amount of material, added to the surface of 
the great cone, is already making a difference in its out- 
line, and should the outflow continue for nearly three 
years, as occurred after the December, 1881, outburst, the 
Vesuvian cone will have another gigantic hump of lava to 
spoil the graceful curves of its back. 
Either as the result of bad writing or of printer’s errors 
some obvious mistakes have crept into my last communi- 
cation. For “wnattached pyroxene crystals” read wz- 
attacked. For “salbam” read salband. Read for “about 
one metre per secovd,” about one metre per wznute. 
Naples, May 24 H. J. JOHNSTON-LAVIS 
THE RUAHINE RANGE, NEW ZEALAND 
i the summer of 1843, Mr. Colenso being at Hawke’s 
Bay, first saw the Ruahine Range, looking sublimely 
grand under its crest of virgin snow. Hearing at this 
time of natives living secluded in the interior, in the 
country lying between this range and the famed 
central volcanic district, Tongariro, he determined to 
visit them, and he has lately published a most graphic 
and interesting account of several visits to and over the 
range, which were accomplished between the years 1845 
and 1847. This narrative is, as would be expected from 
a botanist like the author, largely interspersed with 
valuable notes on the flora, and there are also some on 
the fauna of that region. It is also somewhat interspersed 
with quotations, for the most part appropriate ones, from 
the authors favourite poets. It is not necessary that we 
should make any comments on the fact that this little 
memoir does not appear in the 7vazsactions of the New 
Zealand Institute, already so full of various important con- 
tributions to our knowledge of New Zealand forms from 
Mr. Colenso’s pen, for the publishing Board of that Insti- 
tute, having declined to publish more than an abstract of 
it, the memoir was, by request, returned to the Hawke’s 
Bay Philosophical Institute, before which Society it had 
originally been read, and it has been by them laid before 
the scientific world with additional and copious notes. 
The first attempt to cross the range was made under 
great difficulties in February, 1844: the weather was 
bad, heavy rain flooded the rivers and mountain streams, 
and the guide had forgotten the route. Despite all disad- 
vantages, many a rare and several new plants were found. 
On a Saturday night, after a slender supper amid the 
deepening gloom of the beech forest, we read : “‘ Here, 
pendent from some of the trees, hung a most lovely species 
of Loranthus (Loranthus flavidus), while on many other 
trees that fine species ZL. tetrapetalus formed dense 
bushes, bearing crimson flowers in profusion, so that in 
some of the more open spots among the closely-growing 
trees the whole forest wore a reddish glare.” At the very 
spot where they halted, a fine bushy composite shrub 
with hydrangea-like leaves was gathered, which has been 
since named by Sir J. Hooker, O/earia Colensoz. Fatigued 
with the day’s work the party slept till 10 o’clock 
on the Sunday, and then awoke to find themselves 
completely invaded by a large “ blue-bottle fly,” which, it 
appears, inhabited the beech-wood in countless numbers, 
and was most teasing and audacious: their blankets and 
| woollen clothing had been attacked, and were literally 
filled with the fly eggs, and the hair of the natives’ heads 
had also similarly suffered. These blue-bottles spoiled 
the Sabbath day’s rest ; they had never before been met 
with by Mr. Colenso. We wonder if the species has been 
recognised by Baron Osten Sacken, who has recently been 
engaged in describing New Zealand Diptera. After two 
days’ more fatigue, the party were obliged to descend 
without crossing the summit, being nearly starved into 
the bargain. But amid all these troubles, Colenso writes 
that he at least had some joys, certainly, under the circum- 
stances, unknown to the natives, in that he discovered, on 
the return, several fine new plants (Adsophtila Colensot), 
several new species of Coprosma, some of which grew so 
compactly together that in some places it was impossible 
to get through them, and so they had to walk zon them. 
Here, but only in one spot, that beautiful fern, Wypolepzs 
millefolium, was found. Many beautiful and new forms 
of Veronica, as VY. duxtfolia, V. nivalis, and V. tetragona, 
this last species in its barren state resembling much the 
branch of a Podocarpus. Here we venture to interpose a 
wish that Mr. Colenso would write an essay on the 
mimetic resemblances of the species of the genus. 
But this was not all: a little further up there 
were found “splendid Celmisias and Ranunculuses in 
countless numbers, intermixed with elegant Wahlen- 
bergias and beautiful Ourisias, Euphraisias, Gentians, 
Dracophyllums, Astelias, and Calthas, and many others. 
Here were plants reminding one of those of our native 
land, with rare and little known novelties.” After the 
first burst of surprise, the great difficulty of carrying off 
these prizes presented itself: no collecting materials were 
at hand. There was no time to lose. “First I pulled 
off my coat, and made a bag of that; then, driven by 
necessity, 1 added thereto my shirt, and, by tying the 
neck, got an excellent bag. Lastly the crown of my hat 
held a few. Fortunately the day turned out a fine one, 
and on returning to the camp the night was spent 
placing them among spare clothing, bedding, and books.” 
Of this “find” drawings of nearly fifty were published by 
Sir W. J. Hooker, or Sir J. Hooker, in the “ Flora Nove 
Zelandiz” or the “Icones Plantarum.” The graphic 
account of that terrible plant, Acéphy/la Colensoz, we must 
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