440 Correspondence — Mr. G. Poulett Scrope. 



that the excursionists were unable to sit down to the dinner, to which 

 they had been invited by the President at the Alexandra Hotel, until 

 nearly half-past five, at which hour they ought to have been on 

 their return journey. In consequence of the hurry the party were not 

 able to do justice to the magnificent repast which had been prepared. 

 The usual loyal toasts were obliged to be dispensed with, but the 

 President said he could not let the opportunity pass without proposing 

 the health of the Vicar of Bridlington, who had joined the excur- 

 sionists and kindly acted as Cicerone. In proposing the toast, Mr. 

 Wood mentioned the fact that the Eev. gentleman had earned a title 

 to the gratitude of all naturalists from his exertions in originating 

 and forwarding the measure, which had now become law, for the 

 protection of sea-fowl. In returning thanks, the Eev. H. Barnes 

 said that although he had taken great interest in the question, the 

 thanks of the nation were equally due to his friend Mr. Harland. 

 Mr. Armstrong, of Eichmond, proposed the health of Mr. Wood, the 

 President, and eulogised his exertions on behalf of the Naturalists' 

 Club. The President replied in a few words, and the party then 

 hurried off to the station to catch the train for Scarborough at six 

 o'clock, when it was found that the station master had sent off the 

 carriages without any occupants to Scarborough. In consequence of 

 this the whole party were detained at Bridlington until eight o'clock, 

 when they proceeded to Scarborough, from whence a special train 

 was engaged by the President to take them to York, to meet the 

 fast . train for the north at 10.25. The party arrived safely in 

 Eichmond at midnight. 



C0I^s,Es:P03rx5:E]:L^^CE. 



MR. DAVID FOEBES'S LECTURE ON VOLCANOS. 



SiK. — The able lecture of Mr. D. Forbes, on Volcanos, delivered in 

 St. George's Hall, on the 19th June last, and printed in your July 

 Number, contains views so nearly identical with my own upon this 

 interesting branch of Geology, that I may be allowed, perhaps, with- 

 out apparent presumption, to mention a very few points on which I 

 am inclined to differ from the lecturer. 



1. In his description of a volcanic eruption, p. 318, line 1, he 

 ascribes the formation of the " Volcanic ash or dust," (which may be 

 estimated to compose at least a moiety of the products of every con- 

 siderable eruption, being carried away by winds, and spread often in 

 layers of some depth, over enormous areas of sea and land) to " the 

 instantaneous reduction to an almost impalpable powder" of liquid lava 

 ejected by the gaseous explosions which constitute one of the main 

 features of an eruption. Now my observations on the Vesuvian 

 eruption of 1822 convinced me that the jets of lava thrown up by 

 the great bursting bubbles of steam (or steam mixed with various 

 gases) that rise with vast force in a continuous stream from within 

 the molten matter exposed in the vent, consist for the most 

 part of tattered and jagged fragments — scorige in fact, torn from 

 the liquid surface, and cooling as they ascend in the air — some of 



