﻿236 Scientific Intelligence. 



times occur, and one such on the southwest side, on the highest 

 part of the brim, is reported by Mr. Alexander as having been a 

 very recent occurrence, and as an immense stream flowing toward 

 Kahuku, besides sending lava cataracts into the south crater. 

 The lava, moreover, is as solid and heavy as that of Kilauea. 



With regard to the smaller craters, more than fifty in number, 

 situated about Loa, Kea and Hualalai. the three great mountains 

 of Hawaii, Mr. Alexander states that they have as a general 

 thing been formed on fissures running N. 40°-60° W. though a 

 few are on a N. 50° E. line. " The major axis of the great cra- 

 ters is generally at right angles" to the mean trend of the group 

 N. 30° W. ; this is at least true of Kilauea and Mokuaweoweo. 

 " In both of them the highest walls are on the western side, and 

 in both the action is working toward the southwest." 



3. Kilauea, Hawaii. — The crater Kilauea has again liquid 

 lavas in the pit called Halemaumau, in its southwestern part. 

 On the 26th fires had appeared. On June 29 the lake was about 

 225 by 435 feet in its diameters, as measured by crossing it, it 

 being crusted over from cooling, but hot for shoes. On July 4th 

 the crusted surface stood at a level 75 feet higher than on the 

 29th, and. two streams of lava 40 feet wide flowed from beneath 

 the table-top of lava into the lower portion of the pit. As usual 

 the lava became cooled in surface to a "satiny blackness " a 

 short distance from its visible source, and this cooling retarded 

 its flow, so that " it ' gartered ' itself, as it were, in narrow, 

 smooth folds, arranged in parallel curved lines across the surface 

 of the flow ;" but soon the stream, overcoming the partial obstruc- 

 tion thus made, burst through at the front and " rolled out again 

 in slow-moving streams of a rich red color." The display of light 

 in the crater and from the illuminated clouds at night were fine 

 at times during the week. The above facts are cited from letters 

 of June 26th and July 4th in the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 

 signed C. (F. L. Clarke). The eruption here recorded is one of 

 the common outflows of Halemaumau in the bottom of Kilauea, 

 and not a true eruption of Kilauea. 



4. Map of Maui, of the Hawaian Islands. — Under Mr. W. D. 

 Alexander, a wall map of the island Maui, 3-j- by 4^ feet, has been 

 made, which has recently been published. It is the result of very 

 careful work and gives all topographical as well as political 

 details. It has special interest to the geologist on account of the 

 twin-volcanic character of the island, the contrast in mountain 

 features of the two parts, the wonderful crater of Haleakala at 

 the summit of the eastern part, the highest point of whose rim is 

 10,032 feet above the sea-level; and the illustrations of the 

 progress of erosion over the two mountain regions. 



5. The Taconic stratigraphy and fossils. Note by J. D. 

 Dana. — The question has been asked me, in view of the great 

 fault and overthrust in the Scottish Highlands, whether a like 

 event may not have happened in Berkshire, and the juxtaposition 

 of fossils and metamorphic rocks be thus explained. The ques- 



