310 Scientific Intelligence. 
of experiments, and to express a hope that they will continue the 
work they have so excellently begun, stating, I hope in fature, 
somewhat more fully the conclusions deduced from their formid- 
able tables of experimental results. 
Il. Gronogy AND MINERALOGY. 
1. Eruption of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, in January.—The re- 
cent eruption of Mauna Loa was like that of 1868 in being pre- 
ceded by many earthquakes, though much less violent, and also 
in having its principal discharge in the Kahuku region, Southern 
Hawaii, and also nearly parallel in course, but situated two to 
four miles farther west and starting eight to ten farther north. 
The information here given with regard to it is from copies of the 
Pacific Commercial Advertiser and Hawaian Gazette of Honolulu, 
received from the Surveyor General, Mr. W. D. Alexander, and 
from a much reduced copy (photographic) of a large map of 
Hawaii made by the survey which has just gone to the engraver. 
Mr. D. H. Hitchcock reports that from early in December last, 
earthquakes steadily increased in number and heaviness, and 
averaged three a day by the 12th of January. In Kahuka, 
according to Mr. George Jones, there were 314 shocks between 
Qh 12' a.m. of Jan. 17th and 4" a. m. of the 18th, 67 between that 
time and midnight and 3 the following day, making 383 in all. 
Ten miles west, in Hilea, the number reported by Mr. C. N. 
Spencer between 2 a.m. of the 16th and 7 p.m. of the 18th is 
618. 
With the sudden increase in the earthquakes on the night fol- 
lowing the 16th, there was an outbreak of fires on the summit of 
Mauna Loa, three or four miles northeast of the crater, near 
Pohaku o Hanalei; they disappeared after a few hours. Three 
hours after the cessation of the earthquakes at Kahuku, at 7 a. m., 
on the 18th, according to Mr. Jones, the outflow of lavas began 
in Kau, north of Kahuku, or was first known to be in progress. 
It came from a fissure, the highest point of which was about 
6,500 feet above the sea, and about twenty miles from its termi- 
nus on the sea coast, which it reached about noon of the 19th, 
near Puuhue, nearly four miles west of the terminus in 1868. 
Mr. Spencer, who visited the point of chief outflow on the 20th, 
says that there were fifteen fountains of molten lava, the highest 
one rising to a height by estimate of about 200 feet. The stream 
flowed off bearing bowlders weighing tons, and with explosions 
at intervals sending up columns of smoke sometimes 500 feet 
high. He states that during the first 24 hours the rate of flow 
was only a mile and a half an hour, and the lava field made was 
of the a-a kind, rough clinkers; but on the 20th the flow was 
rapid and the lava of the smooth kind, or pahoehoe. No cinders 
or volcanic ashes were made along the coast or elsewhere. By 
noon of the 24th the flow had nearly stopped, though the fires 
were still active along the stream above. Mr. E. 8. Bishop, who 
