a flDontbl? journal of natural Science 
Vol. I., No. 7. MALTA, DECEMBER 1st. 1891. 
CONTENTS- 
— ♦<> — Page 
1 Sketch of the Geology of Pantelleria, importance of 
its thermal springs to the Maltese— Car. G. 
Jerris, F.G.S. 93 
2 The Botany and Geology of Egypt— Rev. Professor 
Henslow, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. 97 
3 Military Pigeons 99 
4 Theories of Mountain Formation— T. Mellard Reade, 
C.E., F.G.S., F.R.I.B.A., 99 
5 The Climate of the Maltese Islands— J. H. Cooke. 102 
6 Notes on the Lepidoptera of Malta— Alf. Caruana 
Gatto, B.A. 106 
7 Science Gossip: — “La Natura” — Vine diseases — Lon 
gevity of Birds— Area and currents of the Medi- 
terranean— Rhus vernicifera— Belgium Iguano- 
dons, &c. &c. 107 
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Sketch of the Geology of Pantelleria, 
importance of its thermal springs to the 
Maltese. 
One hundred and forty miles to the West of 
Valletta is the little town of Pantelleria, built at 
the northern extremity of the island of the same 
name, which constitutes one of the 1 2 Sicilian 
volcanoes, and is likewise the largest of the nume- 
rous outlying islands belonging to Sicily. 
Pantelleria, situated midway between Sicily and 
Tunisia, in that part of the Mediterranean known 
as the African Sea, is exclusi vely of volcanic ori- 
gin. The view from the sea on entering the little 
port is fine and highly picturesque, the town occii 
pying the gently rising ground behind the beach 
while the cultivated land on the slope of Monte 
Sant’ Elia is pleasantly dotted over with small 
houses in the midst of vegetation of a southern 
type. Above all, in the background and flanked 
by minor eminences, rises the Montagna Grande, 
the height of which is not so very much less than 
that of Vesuvius, while the entire mountain mass 
of the island taken together is fai greater, and 
the general outline to my mind, infinitely more 
beautiful. 
Somewhat elliptical in form, Pantelleria measures 
8 1 miles in length from N.W. to S.E.; its breadth 
in the direction of N.E. to SPY. is 4j miles, and the 
area 25,423 acres. Towards the south of Pantel- 
leria rises the Montagna Grande, 838 metres (2742 
feet) above the level of the Mediterranean, sepa- 
rated by a narrow ravine or valley on its southern 
slope from the Gibel, the Arabic word for .noun- 
tain, redundantly called Monte Gibele, 700 metres 
(2298 ft.) high. Still further south is the Cudda 
Attalora 580 metres (1837 ft.), while Monte Gelk- 
harnar, to the west of the Montagna Grande, rises 
to the height of 230 metres (9 :-8 ft.), and lastly, 
Monte Sant’ Elia, already alluded to, above the 
town of Pantelleria, about the same h ight as the 
