6 J. W. Judd — On Volcanos. 



both from it and from Vulcano are, unquestionably, indicative of 

 hygrometric variations. The power of forecasting events is, by the 

 vulgar mind, often confounded with that of bringing them to pass ; 

 and the hero or prophet of one generation becomes the demigod of 

 the next, and the deity of succeeding ones. Hence it is not sur- 

 prising to find Eolus invested, in later mythologies, with the dignity 

 of " God of the Winds." Such is the account of the origin of the 

 name as given by some eminent Italian scholars ; but those who 

 have experienced the fierce and sudden storm of the seas surround- 

 ing the Eolian Isles may perhaps be disposed to adopt a simpler 

 explanation of the identification of these islands with the blusterous 

 deity. 



The group of the Liparis consists of seven inhabited islands and 

 a great number of small islets and rocks. The whole of these are 

 entirely composed of volcanic materials, and two of the islands, 

 Vulcano and Stromboli, contain still active vents ; in the others, 

 craters and lava-streams, in various stages of freshness or ruin, 

 testify to the former scale of igneous operations within them ; while 

 active fumaroles and hot springs indicate forces not yet wholly 

 subdued. 



In describing the geological structure of the Lipari Islands, it 

 may be well to notice the several rock -masses in what appears to be 

 their chronological order of formation. As in the case of the classical 

 district of the Auvergne, this order of succession in the volcanic 

 outbursts is sufficiently indicated by the varying extent to which the 

 different formations have suffered from denuding forces, and the 

 relations which they everywhere maintain towards one another. 



A careful study of the district seems to prove that at one time 

 there existed a great central volcanic mountain, now, like the volcano 

 of Santorin in the iEgean sea, in great part submerged, and reduced 

 to a few islands representing the crater ring. Radiating from this 

 great central volcano, three fissures appear to have been originated, 

 and at various points along these fissures volcanic cones were thrown 

 up, and numerous eruptions took place. Finally, the apparently 

 dying energies centred in this volcanic district have become localized 

 at two almost extreme points, giving rise to volcanos so opposite in 

 their mode of action and in the characters of their products, as to 

 suggest questions of the highest interest to the geological inquirer. 

 It must of course be borne in mind that these three periods of 

 volcanic outbursts, though sufficiently well characterized for the 

 purposes of geological classification, are merely different phases in 

 the display of the same igneous activity ; and that, as they do not 

 appear to have been separated by periods of quiescence, they are 

 by no means sharply and clearly divided from one another. 



While Stromboli stands unrivalled as an example of a volcano 

 in the phase of permanent moderate activity, offering facilities for 

 quiet study, (of which the distracting sensations of overwhelming 

 grandeur and personal danger can scarcely fail to deprive the ob- 

 server, in the cases of volcanos in more violent stages of eruption), 

 Vulcano furnishes us with a most admirable and easily accessible 



