0 
B BDontblp IReview of IRatura! Science. 
Yol. II., No. 22. MALTA, MAECH 1st. 1893. 
CONTENTS. 
<*- — Page 
1 The Fourth allotropic form of Carbon— G. Jervis 
F.G.S. 331 
2 The Natural History of Certain Fevers occurring in 
the Mediterranean — Capt. M. Louis Hughes 
A.M.S. 332 
3 The latest from Mars 334 
4 Meteorological report for 1892 334 
5 Geological Notes of Acireale— G. Platania 335 
6 Animal Plagues 336 
7 Notes and News:— 337 
8 The Relationships of the Structure of Rocks to the 
condirions of their formation — Prof. H.J. Johnston 
Lavis 337 
9 The Lands of Volcanoes 340 
10 The Geology of Arabia Petrea and Palestine 340 
11 The vegetation of thehouse terraces of Malta— Hr. 
A. Garuana Gatto 341 
12 Science Gossip: — 342 
13 Monthly Meteorological report 345 
14 Correspondence: — Excessive charges 346 
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The Fourth allotropic Form of Carbon. 
In the January number of the Mediterranean 
N aturalist a fourth allotropic form of Carbon is 
described, possessing high metallic lustre, absolu- 
tely opaque, and free from ash, properties widely 
distinct from those possessed by Carbon in its 
other three well-known allotropic conditions, viz., 
the Diamond, Graphite, and Charcoal, or Soot. 
However, the discovery of this interesting form of 
Carbon is there attributed to Luzi — if indeed, he 
does not erroneously consider himself to be the 
discoverer — a statement which, seeing the high 
scientific importance of the Mediterranean Natu- 
raiist, it is absolutely necessary to correct in vin- 
dication of the rightful discoverer, Alessandro 
Cruto, of Piossasco (Province of Turin), as is 
clearly established by the Italian Patent he took 
out under the date of 7th March 1882, No. 167, 
entitled: Improvements in electric lighting by 
incandescence , and in the manufacture of the Car- 
bons, etc. 
I was so greatly struck with the absolute purity 
of this Carbon when brought to me for examina- 
tion by Mr. Cruto, its magnificent metallic lustre, 
combined with its compact homogeneous structure, 
so widely distinct from any other form of carbon 
I had ever seen before, that I wrote an article on 
the subject, pointing out the beauty of the disco- 
very, and the several advantages of the new pro- 
duct, which was essentially intended to be em- 
ployed for incandascent lamps, and this appeared 
in a well-known periodical, the Elettricita, of 
Milan, so that, what with the patent and the ar- 
ticle, every chemist has had the mean of knowing 
something of this fourth form of Carbon. 
The process of its preparation is fully detailed in 
the specification, of which the following abridg- 
ment will be interesting. It consists in bringing 
hydrocarbons or chloride of carbon in contact 
with surfaces containing alluminous or alkaline 
