Revieios — The American Naturalist. 411 



lar. It is -imdoubtedly the great difficulty and at the same time 

 the great demand of the age. To a people like the American nation, 

 at once so enterprising and possessing such boundless resources, all 

 things seem possible, and we see no reason why they should not 

 achieve even this critical object. Good illustrations and cleverly- 

 written articles are necessary for the success of such a work ; of both 

 these there is a fair average, the recent Natural History articles being, 

 as a whole, better than the Geological ones. 



We should be unjust, however, to Mr. W. T. Brigham did we 

 omit to call attention to his article on a visit to the Volcano of 

 Kilauea, Hawaii Islands. His description of a night-display of this 

 volcano which he witnessed is very graphic (see No. 1, p. 19) : — 



"As it grew dark we were very tired, having travelled since six 

 o'clock in the morning ; and hopiug to wake up in the night when 

 the fires would be more brilliant, we rolled ourselves up in our 

 blankets, and, with our guides near by, went to sleep a few rods from 

 the crater. 



" At nine o'clock I waked, and as the night air was quite cold, 

 moved to the very edge of the crater to warm myself, and to enjoy 

 the magnificent fireworks. The moon was up and almost full, but 

 her light was dull beside the fires of Pele. Finding the place quite 

 comfortable, I picked out a soft rock for a pillow, and went to sleep 

 again. At twelve I awaked with a start, and found myself in a 

 shower of fiery drops, some of which were burning my blanket. I 

 shook myself and jumped back, looking at my watch to note the 

 time, and then stood gazing at the strange scene for some time before 

 I thought of my companions. The whole surface of the lake had 

 risen several feet, and was violently boiling and dashing against 

 the banks, throwing the white-hot spray some sixty feet over the 

 upper banks, causing the providential rain that awakened me to see 

 this grand display. There was no thundering or bellowing, only the 

 splash of the waves as they fell back, or the rattling of the cooled 

 drops on the upper banks. The light was so intense as to be almost 

 painful, as the crust had wholly melted, and brilliant fountains of fire 

 covered the surface. 



" When I could think of anything else I called the others, but only 

 succeeded in awakening the guides, and just then a drop of lava 

 came plump into a greasy newspaper we broiTght our supper in, and 

 it blazed up suddenly to the dismay of our guides, who, thinking 

 that the volcano had broken out at our feet, at once fled to a safe 

 distance. Failing to arouse them with my voice, I threw several 

 handfuls of gravel at the sleepers, but without effect, and I had to 

 climb down — almost blinded by gazing at the fire — and shake them 

 roughly. When they at last reached the edge the action had greatly 

 diminished, and in a few minu.tes more the dark crust covered the 

 central portion, extending rapidly to the sides ; and after watching 

 the last crack close, we all went to sleep again. I was glad to see 

 such distinct flames, as their existance has been denied in volcanoes. 

 They were bluish green, and shot up iu tongues or wide sheets 

 a foot long." 



