126 REVIEWS, TRANSLATIONS, AND SELECTED ARTICLES. 



to the upheaval of the shore. The raised band to which the balani, 

 &c., were attached, was traced from Torre del Gt-reco along the coast 

 to Torre di Basano ; but at the latter spot it had diminished in 

 height to three decimetres [=llf inches.] In connexion with this, 

 we were assured that farther up the coast, as well as at Naples, the 

 relative levels of land and sea remained unaltered. We crossed the 

 place from which, with strong ebullition, the carbonic acid was con- 

 stantly rising, and found the surface of the sea covered aU around 

 with a yellowish scum. At the bottom, there were many dead fishes 

 and sepise." This phenomenon is fully confirmed by the observations 

 of Messrs. Tchihatchef, Palmieri, and other geologists, as recorded 

 in the same and other numbers of the Comptes Bendus. Professor 

 Palmieri observes : — " The ground around Torre del G-reco began to 

 experience a movement of elevation at the first commencement of 

 the eruption, and this movement continued during the two following 

 days. The part of the town built on the compact lavas of 1794 

 sufiered great damage ; but the wells were not injuriously affected 

 on this occasion. There was even an increase in the amount of 

 water, accompanied by great ebullition, arising from the escape of 

 carbonic acid. The emission of this gas from the sea bottom, 

 destroyed a great number of fishes." 



In a communication by M. Tchihatchef, the great similarity of 

 the recent lavas to those of 1794 is pointed out. Both are remark- 

 ably free from leucite, but contain, in place of that mineral, a great 

 abundance of pyroxene. M. Tchihatchef observes, however, that 

 the one may be readily distinguished from the other, at least for a 

 period of five or six years, by a simple botanical character : the older 

 lava being covered by a thick growth of a lichen, Stereocaulon Vesu- 

 vianum, whilst the surface of the modern lava is quite bare. The 

 lichen in question does not commence to grow on these rocks until 

 after a lapse of several years. 



Another fact of great interest, connected with this eruption, is the 

 manifestation of combustible gases, consisting largely of carburetted 

 hydrogen, and the simultaneous appearance of bituminous matters 

 on the surface of the sea, at various points. An analysis of gas 

 collected from the sea near Torre del Greco, yielded to Sainte-Claire 

 Deville the following results ; Carbonic acid, 59.53 ; combustible 

 gas (nitrogen + carburetted hydrogen), 40.47. The same gas was 

 observed to issue through crevices in the streets of Torre del Greco 



