460 NICKEL-BEARING SERPENTINE WITH FULGURITES. [Aug. 1 896, 



analyses of serpentines from North Carolina and elsewhere^ 

 Mr. Eccles had informed him that the fulgurites described in the 

 paper did not appear to penetrate the rock to any great depth, and 

 that they seemed ultimately to branch and thin off. This accorded 

 with observations which he had already made concerning the 

 probable terminations of certain fulgurites of the sand-tube type. 

 He alluded to an exceptional case, in which a few crystallites were 

 present in fulgurite-glass. In all other cases with which he was 

 acquainted such glass showed no inclusions other than gas-pores... 

 Miss Aston's analysis was one of considerable value and interest. 

 So far as he knew, this was the only recorded case of the occurrence 

 of fulgurites in serpentine. 



Dr. Preller, having witnessed the effects of violent lightning- 

 discharges in various parts of the Alps, observed that mountain- - 

 peaks, such as the Eiffelhorn and Monte Yiso, in which occurred 

 serpentine or other magnetite-bearing rocks, appeared to be subject 

 more especially to direct lightning-discharges, producing perforations - 

 similar to those described by Prof. Bonney and Mr. Eutley ; while* 

 limestone peaks, such as the Stanserhorn near the Lake of Lucerne^, 

 and Mont Saleve near Geneva, appeared to be more frequently struck 

 by indirect, that is, meandering or side discharges. He quoted 

 a specific case which occurred within his knowledge on the Stanser- 

 horn two years ago, when an indirect discharge only left black marks 

 on going to earth through the electric installation erected on the 

 lower of the two limestone peaks. He thought that abundant- 

 evidence of the effects of atmospheric electricity upon rocks 

 would be found in the Western Islands of Scotland, which, being- 

 chiefly basaltic, contained a large percentage of magnetic iron, and; 

 which Profs. Eiicker and Thorpe had shown to lie in a magnetic 

 zone. 



Mr. Eccles also spoke. 



Prof. Bonne r thanked the Fellows for the reception which they 

 had given to the paper, and said that it was quite true that some 

 nickel was generally found in a serpentine, but that, so far as he 

 could ascertain, anything like 4'9 per cent, was exceptional. 



