THE QUIZZYHOTA LACCOLITE 95 
which are of common occurrence; in these cases certain conditions 
have caused precipitation of the iron from solution, but where the 
conditions are not favorable, the iron goes on its journey downward 
toward the base of the crust. Weak solutions such as these which 
carry the iron are ionized and the metallic ion carries a positive 
charge of electricity; the metallic ion possibly is attracted by the 
magnetic core of the earth, but however that may be, the iron goes 
down and must come to rest in the base of the crust beyond which 
water cannot penetrate. This would lead to an accumulation of 
a positive charge at the base of the crust. Above this is suspended 
a solution or a fluid magma which is an electrolyte,’ that is, one in 
which the substances are ionized and the metallic ions carry a 
positive charge and the acid ions a negative one. Under such 
circumstances the negative, acid ions would be attracted by the 
positive charge at the base of the crust and the metallic, positive 
ions would be repelled, and in that way a magma of average com- 
position would be differentiated into an acid and basic series, the 
acid part accumulating in the lower half of the dumbbell and the 
basic in the upper. Whether this cause is sufficient for the effect 
I do not know, but considering the immense time during which 
geological phenomena take place, a small but persistent electrical 
attraction and repulsion, such as exists under the circumstances, 
would have far-reaching effects. 
tC, Barus and J. P. Iddings, Amer. Jour. Sci., XLIV, 242. 
