468 The History of Vesuvius [July, 
of aluminium, and microscopic crystals of a compound of 
copper, probably chloride. The lava is black and lustrous, 
and it contains a good deal of leucite. It does not resemble 
that which was emitted in 1872. 
The new cone of November, 1878, presents several points 
of great interest. It is so small, and its dynamic activity 
is of such a character, that it is possible to approach quite 
close to it, and thus to observe the exadt nature of its 
adtion. We approached within a dozen yards of its crater, 
and stood nearly on a level with it on a heap of scoriae, 
which sometimes shook beneath our feet. A peculiar loud 
surging sound was heard within the crater, such as we have 
heard within the Strokkr Geysir, in Iceland, but much 
louder and more intense — in fadt the difference that one 
would expedt between violently agitated water and violently 
agitated molten lava. At intervals loud detonations oc- 
curred, the ground shook under our feet, and a thousand 
red-hot pieces of scoriae were shot on to a height of several 
hundred feet. The majority of these fall back into the 
crater, or on that side of the cone away from the wind ; but 
sometimes, on the occurrence of an unusually violent out- 
burst, the masses would be scattered far and wide. Two 
such masses fell unpleasantly near ; the second, which must 
have weighed at least a pound and a half, fell within 4 feet 
of us. They can generally be avoided if they come down 
singly, but of course if a shower descends the best thing to 
do is to run for it. A guide had been killed by a falling 
projedtile fifteen days before our visit. The new cone pre- 
sented altogether one of the most remarkable sights we 
have ever witnessed ; the earth-shakings, concussions, and 
detonations ; the showers of red-hot scoriae, rivalling any 
fireworks ; the clouds of steam and lurid smoke, and the 
entire surroundings — all contributed to make it a remark- 
able sight, and to prove that a really great eruption, like 
that of 1631 or 1872, must be altogether the most wonder- 
ful sight in Nature. 
In the last number of the “ Bullettino del Vulcanismo 
Italiano,” which was published a few weeks ago, we look 
in vain for any news of Vesuvius. In the “ Cronaca 
Vesuviana ” an account of our visit in December (commu- 
nicated to “ Nature,” and very inaccurately translated for 
“ La Nature ”) is reprinted with all the errors. Of the 
products Prof. Palmieri writes — “ Le sublimazioni, pecu- 
liare obbieto di studi scientifici, sottoposte continuamente 
all’ azione delle pioggie, non han potuto accumularsi in 
