that will not yield to terror to support the "mucky pride" which will not yield up power. Even if the Czar were himself killed, all his rights would, in the opinion of those who uphold the autocracy-that is, in the opinion of the whole Army and of a majority of the peasantry-pass to his child, for whom some Regent would fight by the use of the same weapons as those now employed, with this additional energy imparted to them, that they would be used on behalf of the innocent, on whose future millions would rely with hope.

There are Russians, we believe, who declare that their only trust is in a change of dynasty; but even they cannot hope to secure that result by successive hand-grenades. It is insurrection they must rely on, or military revolt-that most dangerous and detestable of political weapons-or passive resistance to general taxation, the refusal of supplies by a vote of the unorganized people, which so far as we know no revolutionary party, however just its cause, has ever yet secured. Of those three chances, which one is brought even a little nearer by a policy of murder, that at the most for some sixty individuals brings the thought of death a little closer to their fears? Every Grand Duke and Duchess has, like every other human being, already been sentenced to capital punishment by the will of Almighty God. The revolutionists may say that they hope to terrorize their rulers into better behavior; but has that ever in history been accomplished? Yes, it has been once; and in that one instance is the condemnation, written as it were by the finger of Providence, of their entire argument and policy. Orsini's bomb freed Italy because it failed. Had it succeeded, Italy might still be languishThe Spectator.

ing under the tyranny of its petty despots.

We have mentioned the gloomy conditions which at this moment surround the Russian throne, but have as yet omitted the gloomiest of them all. The Iman who, in circumstances almost unparalleled in history-for Philip II. of Spain lived safe in the Escorial-struggles to uphold that awful sceptre, and even to carry it upwards over one more hill, is unequal to its weight. He wishes no harm to his people, probably knows of no harm happening to them, for the truth of things is carefully kept from his ears, and he does not even know, as he himself is said to have confessed, why his terrible uncle was made away with. He is miserable, yet he might in a day be a happy man if he would only content himself with a position, say, like that of his cousin the German Emperor,-master, that is, of a dominion in which he is practically absolute, but can act only through law, and occasionally with the consent of representatives whose preoccupation is not to differ with him too seriously. He could secure that position to-morrow by a decree of twenty lines, for once it were in print, and known to be signed by him, resistance would be as impossible as was resistance to the decree of Emancipation, and the Emperor might next day wander at will along the quays of the Neva as safe as if he were walking on the Thames Embankment. We believe that he would be only too rejoiced to do this, and now and then resolves on doing it; but the resolute will of his house has not been given to him, his burden is too great for his strength, and in Russia in the hour of her agony-and of his-"all things drift."

There are many special features about the total solar eclipse of August of the present year. In the first place, perhaps the chief of these is that it will occur about the time when the solar atmosphere is greatly disturbed, or in other words, at a time when the number of sun-spots is about a maximum. Second, the localities from which it may be observed are well distributed over land surfaces, and some are easily accessible from the British Isles. Thirdly, observers will have to wait many years before another favorable eclipse occurs. That in 1907 will be visible in Central Asia, but its occurrence in January will deter many from seeing it. The two eclipses in 1908 will be visible only from the Pacific and South Atlantic. The eclipse of 1909 will occur in June in Greenland, while that in 1910 will be visible only from the Antarctic regions. In 1911 only a short portion of the end of the eclipse track will pass through a part of South Australia. It is therefore the eclipse of 1912, that will take place in April in Spain, which will be the next easily accessible one to observe; but as totality will only last 60 seconds, its duration will be brief compared with that of this year, which will last for more than 32 minutes.

Further, the fact that the approaching eclipse occurs in a month, such as August, when a great number of people are taking their summer holiday, and therefore can more easily leave these shores, should ensure the presence of many volunteer observers at the more easily reached stations. In the present instance the zone of totality commences in Canada towards the south of Lake Winnipeg, skirts the extreme south of Hudson's Bay, passes a little to the north of Nova Scotia, and then crosses the Atlantic. In Europe

it strikes Spain on its north-west coast line, and leaves the eastern coast, enveloping the islands of Majorca and Iviza. Reaching Africa in the neighborhood of eastern Algeria, it passes through Tunis, Tripoli, Egypt, and the Red Sea, and finally terminates in Arabia.

In Spain an opportunity is afforded of making observations at some stations of high altitude, for the eclipse track includes several lofty mountains. For instance, Penas de Europa, southwest of Santander, and 8000 feet high. is one of numerous possible observing peaks, and advantage should be taken of this or some other elevated region.

It will thus be seen that there is plenty of scope for observers to scatter themselves along the line of totality, and this should be done as much as possible. The low altitude of the sun during totality at Labrador (27°) and Egypt (24°) renders both these regions somewhat unfavorable for the best observations, but there parties should at any rate be present. The former region can undoubtedly be left to Canadian and American observers, for it does not seem necessary that European observers should journey so far when more favorable stations are nearer at hand. The close proximity of Egypt to many European countries renders this part of the zone of totality easily accessible. Here the central line of totality passes just a little north of Assuan, the outer limits enclosing Edfu on the north and Darmut on the south.

The probable weather conditions at the different stations form an important item in eclipse matters, for clouds can easily mar the work of even the best organized expedition. Omitting Labrador, a station that will not be occupied by observers from this coun

try, the north-western portion of Spain does not seem to be particularly favored with the required weather conditions. According to Señor F. Iñiguez, the director of the Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory of Madrid, this locality during August is not only cloudy and damp, but storms are of frequent occurrence. Such a report, however, should not prevent one party at least from taking up a position there, but it should suggest to many who had up to the present made up their minds to observe in that locality to seek stations further along the line, and not congregate at a very probably unfavorable station such as this appears to be. At stations towards the east the conditions seem to be more suitable the closer the Mediterranean side is approached, and, according to the authority mentioned above, the probability of fine weather on this coast is very high. Inland stations will probably have the disadvantages of dust and heat combined.

Perhaps one advantage of the northwest over the east coast is that the former will be very much the cooler, but in eclipse matters sky conditions precede temperature considerations.

With regard to such matters as suitable sites for instruments, their safety, guards for camps, building materials, &c., the Spanish Government can be depended upon to render every assistance to those who apply through the proper channels, and the valuable aid they gave to parties during the eclipse of 1900 is still in the memory of many observers.

Those who wish to know something about the routes to Spain, the methods of travel and approximate cost, will find some interesting and useful information in an article recently written by Mr. G. F. Chambers, and published in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association (vol. xv., No. 2, p. 93). Another source of information specially

useful to those visiting Spain is a publication just received from the Astronomical Observatory of Madrid, entitled "Memoria sobre el Eclipse Total de Sol del dia 30 de Agosto de 1905." This has been prepared by the director, Señor Francisco Iñiguez, and contains details about climate and many useful maps, in addition to data about the eclipse itself.

The weather conditions for the stations situated in Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli seem to be very favorable, and should be made the most of. For Algeria, and more especially for the neighborhood of Philippeville, we have some useful facts which have been communicated through M. Mascart by M. A. Angot, of the Bureau Central Météorologique, Paris. Dealing first with cloud and rain, we learn that during the months of July and August Philippeville is the clearest and driest of all the coast stations in Algeria, the mean rainfall for these months amounting to 4 and 10 millimetres respectively out of a total of 807 millimetres for the whole year. The average number of rainy days for each month totals two or three. Storms are rare, but increase towards the interior. If we represent clear sky by O and sky covered by 10, then 2 or 3 would represent the condition of cloudiness at Philippeville. As regards temperature, the diurnal variation has an amplitude of 9° C. or 10° C., the mean temperature being 24° C. (75° F.). By night the temperature would thus be about 18° C. or 19° C. (64° F. or 66° F.), and at two hours after noon the maximum day temperature would reach 29° C. or 30° C. (84° F. or 86° F.). For stations situated some tens of miles inland there is a very rapid increase of day temperature.

The prevailing winds in August vary from N.E, to N.W., i.e. are sea winds; they are not strong, and are not much augmented by the sea breeze.

In Egypt the prospect of fine weather

in August is also very great, so that observers who go to that region need not be very anxious, at any rate about clouds.

One of the novelties that will be attempted during this eclipse will be the photography of the eclipsed sun by means of the three-color process. The camera that will be employed will probably be one having three lenses, so that the exposures through the three colored screens can be made simultaneously, the correct ratio of the exposures being obtained by adjusting the apertures of the lenses.

Nature.

When it is considered that in addition to the British parties there will most probably be expeditions from several other countries, such as Spain, Portugal, Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Egypt, &c., and probably one or two United States expeditions, there is a great opportunity not only for occupying a large number of different stations along the line, but of gaining a quantity of valuable material to enlarge our knowledge of solar physics.

William J. S. Lockyer.

Formerly ghosts were accepted at what may be called their face-value. They appeared at the "occult" hour of midnight, and disappeared at what is to many living persons still the dreadful crowing of the cock in the morning. Another occult phenomenon, for nobody can explain it. In those simple days ghosts were not inexplicable because no one imagined there was anything to explain. After a time, when everybody who was anybody had ceased to believe in them, it began to be a felt want to explain and account for them. Hence the founding of that very interesting, peculiar, and admirable organization, the Society for Psychical Research. It is a ghost-lore society, if we use the term ghost as taken to include all the group of congruous mysteries which cluster round the idea of the ghost and have the distinction of being classed together by the orthodox scientific man as not science. Sir Oliver Lodge has described the members of the society, of which he himself is one of the most distinguished, as being regarded with contempt mixed "Presidential Address" by Professor Charles Richet, Professor of Physiology of the Paris

with surprise. But that is perhaps rather true of the past than the present; and a change in opinion was in fact noticed by Professor Richet, the new president of the society, in his inaugural address1 the other evening. Many of us who are not members of the society represent, as does the society itself, a middle term between the hostility of the man of physical science and the unintellectual indifference of the practical materialist, the uncultured man, who prides himself on his common sense because he sees no difficulties and therefore needs no explanations. We do not want everything ignored which has not something to do with radium, or electric lighting, or appendicitis, or the consumption bacillus. We have heard of such phenomena as rappings on tables without physical contact, of levitations, of inexplicable premonitions and lucidities of the mind which plainly appear out of the normal, of apparitions, the more knowing term for ghosts, of spirit photographs, of apports-of which it may be desirable to state that matter appears to pass Faculty of Medicine, to the members and associates of the Society for Psychical Research.