In a rather large porcelain or glazed earthenware basin place a small quantity of nitrate of lead. This may be obtained for a few cents from any painters’ supplies store. Then upon it throw some flakes of sal ammoniac. Immediately a number of conical elevations will be formed, which give off vapors and burst with a popping noise.

Altogether the experiment represents very exactly, volcanoes in a state of eruption. When the eruption ceases, the rough, broken state of the remaining mats, represents as nearly as a thing on this earth of ours can, the appearance of the moon through a powerful telescope.

Indeed the moon at one time of its history was undoubtedly in the soft lava-like state that you will observe in the basin, during the first stage of this elegant and instructive experiment.