Geological Society, 545 



of land and water on the earth's surface ;" and I think that all 

 geologists will agree with this remark, and feel that if the possibility 

 of a change in the position of the axis of rotation of the crust of the 

 earth were once admitted, it would smooth over many difficulties 

 they now encounter. 



That some such change is indeed taking place at the present 

 moment may not unreasonably be inferred from the observations of 

 the Astronomer Royal, who, in his Report to the Board of Visitors 

 for 1861, makes use of the following language, though "only for 

 the sake of embodying his description of the observed facts," as 

 he refers the discrepancies noticed to "some peculiarity of the instru- 

 ment The Transit Circle and Collimators still present those 



appearances of agreement between themselves and of change with 

 respect to the stars which seem explicable only on one of two sup- 

 positions — that the ground itself shifts with respect to the general 

 Earth, or that the Axis of Rotation changes its position." 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from p. 482.] 

 April 25, 1866.— Warington W. Smyth, Esq., President, in the Char. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " Additional documents relating to the Volcanic Eruptions at 

 the Kaimeni Islands." By Commander Brine, of H. M.S. ' Racer.' 



In these documents it was stated that the active volcano now 

 forming part of Neo Kaimeni Island continues to increase in size 

 by the addition of volcanic matter ejected from the crater, and that 

 the rate of increase of the new island situated to the south-west, 

 near St. George's Bay, is considerably less than at first. The new 

 island contains the crater of a second volcano, 30 feet in height, 

 with a circular base of 300 yards ; and, judging from the soundings 

 obtained at Paleo Kaimeni and St. George's Bay, it is probable that 

 the island will eventually fill up the bay. 



2. " Report to the Eparch of Santorino on the Eruptions at the 

 Kaimeni Islands." By M. Fouque. 



Since the eruptions at Santorino earthquakes have become much 

 less violent in the surrounding country, and the fears of the in- 

 habitants have been unnecessarily great. A new fissure has been 

 opened between George Island and Aphroessa ; and lava and torrents 

 of steam have issued from this vent, as well as much gas. The non- 

 existence of a crater was considered by M. Fouque to be due to the 

 small quantity of ejected matter and the feebleness of the eruption. 

 M. Ste. -Claire Deville has shown that there exists a certain relation 

 between the degree of intensity of a volcano in action and the nature 

 of the volatile elements ejected ; and M. Fouque has been enabled 

 to establish the truth of this law. Thus, in an eruption of maximum 

 intensity, the predominant volatile product is chloride of sodium, 

 accompanied by the salts of soda and potash ; an eruption of the 

 second order gives hydrochloric acid and chloride of iron ; in the 

 third degree, sulphuric acid and salts of ammonia; and in the fourth 



