They manifestly belonged to the heavens, and I made no doubt were to be classed with the other parts or aggregations of white light in the corona. These two bodies I scrutinised closely for some time, and, as I suppose, to the end of totality. The form, dimensions, and appearance of each, and their distance apart, were in constant review; but not the least change in either respect was seen. It would be in vain for me to try to estimate the length of time occupied with these objects. As to the distance between these two white comet-like objects, I judged, after the largest solar spot had been uncovered, that they would have included between their centres the nucleus of that spot, but not the penumbra. I had no means of taking any measures, nor would it have been easy to do so without sacrificing the scrutiny for the presence or absence of changes. In order, however, to reproduce as nearly as possible what I saw, I have laid down upon paper a circle of the same size as the Moon's outline in the focus of the object-glass--almost an inch-and holding this up to the light in the field of view of the same eye-piece used in the telescope, have tried to lay down with a pencil the dimensions and situation of the two objects. The following is the result I got in this way:

Length of each cometoid light

Height of its origin above the Moon's limb
Distance from centre to centre of the two.

130"

100" to 80"

50" to 40"

Perhaps the height above the Moon's limb should

be taken at about half a minute, shortly before the

end of totality. The estimate of 50" to 40" here made for the distance apart of the two objects, may be considered entirely independent of the one first given referring to the solar spot. In that case the judgment comparing with the spot was checked by selecting a pair of scratches on the blue screen glass in the field of view before the eclipse was over, whose interval was judged not far from equal to that of the two objects, and then bringing the solar spot between them.'

But perhaps the most important of all the observations made on the general aspect of the corona, during the eclipse of August 1869, were those made by General Myer, who watched the progress of the eclipse from the summit of White Top Mountain, near Abingdon, Virginia, 5,530 feet above the sea level. The point of observation,' he remarks, was sought with the view of placing ourselves as far as possible above the lower and denser strata of the atmosphere, and the smoke, haze, and obstacles to vision with which they are charged.' It is on this account, and because of the bearing of the evidence on the question of the effect which our own atmosphere produces on the appearance of the corona, that General Myer's observations are chiefly important. The telescopic observations are less interesting than they would otherwise have been, so far at least as the considerations we are now dealing with are in question, on account of the smallness of the field of view, which did not extend far beyond the prominences. General Myer remarks that, in the telescope, the corona or

aureola exhibited a clear yellowish bright light closely surrounding the lunar disc, and fading gradually, with perhaps some tinge of pinkish green, into the line of the darkened sky. Upon this corona, extending beyond its brightest portion, the well defined rose-coloured prominences were projected at various points of the circumference.'* But it is when we turn to the description of the corona, as seen by the naked eye, that the characteristic peculiarities resulting from the position of the observer are recognised. To the unaided eye' says Myer, the eclipse presented, during the total obscuration, a vision magnificent beyond description. As a centre stood the full and intensely black disc of the Moon, surrounded by the aureola of a soft bright light, through which shot out, as if from the circumference of the Moon, straight, massive, silvery rays, seeming distinct and separate from each other to a distance of two or three diameters of the lunar disc, the whole spectacle showing as upon a background of diffused rose-coloured light. This light was most intense, and extended furthest at about the centre of the lower limb, the position of the southern prominence. The silvery rays were longest and most prominent at four points of the circumference, two upon the upper and two upon the lower portion, apparently equidistant from each other (and at about the junctions of the

* Since both the prominences and the corona are luminous, we cannot positively conclude, from this description, that a part of the corona really lay behind the prominences; yet it is well to observe how closely the description accords with this view, or, in other words, with the view that the corona is a solar appendage.

quadrants designated as limbs) giving the spectacle a quadrilateral shape. The angles of the quadrangle were about opposite the north-eastern, north-western, south-eastern, and south-western points of the disc. A banding of the rays, in some respects similar, has been noted as seen at the total eclipse of July 18, 1860. There was no motion of the rays; they seemed concentric.'*

General Myer's description of the general aspect of the sky and air when the total eclipse was in progress deserves to be added :—' The approach of the Moon's shadow,' he says, ' did not appear to be marked by any defined line, or the movement of any dark column of shade through the air. The darkness fell gradually, shrouding the mountain ranges and the dim world below in most impressive gloom. Our guides had been instructed to watch for the shadow, and to call to us at the glasses. They saw nothing of which to give notice. At the same time, and in vivid contrast, the clouds above the horizon were illuminated with a soft radiance; those towards the east with lights like those of a coming dawn, orange and rose prevailing; those northward and westward, as described to us by Mr. Charles Coale of Abingdon, Virginia, who was present, with rainbow bands of light of varied hues. I quote, in his words, a description written by him, as of interest in reference to the dispersion of light:-"The grandest of all to us, who had no astronomical ambition, or astronomical knowledge, to gratify, was the effect upon the clouds during the total obscuration. Those who have had the privilege of being upon White Top, and enjoying the westward scene, will remember the grand panoramic view of mountains beginning on the northern and southern horizon, and stretching away to the west till they seem to meet, and will appreciate the scene that we now attempt to describe. Stretching along this semicircle of mountains in long horizontal lines, far below the Sun, lay light and fleecy clouds, as if resting upon their wings during the seeming struggle between the orbs above them. At the moment of the falling of the dark shadow, when naught was to be seen above but the stars and the circle of light around the Moon, these clouds became arrayed in all the colours of the rainbow, presenting an indescribable richness with their background of sombre mountain. To our vision, it was as if bands of broad ribbon, of every conceivable hue, had been stretched in parallel lines half round the universe."'

During this eclipse a more successful attempt was made to photograph the corona than on any former occasion. Fig. 85 represents the corona as photographed

by Mr. Whipple, at Shelbyville, Kentucky. The fourcornered aspect is here distinctly recognised, and the

In a letter subsequently written to General Myer, on the subject of the remarkable colour-scene described above, Mr. Coale remarks, 'I was probably bordering on the extravagant (though not more so than is ailowable in country journalism) in giving to the clouds "all the colours of the rainbow." I clearly remember, however, that there were distinct bands of pink, purple, yellow, orange, and fiery red, and each slightly tinged with different shades of its own colour. One of the bands had, I remember, to my vision, a slight lilac tinge. I do not remember to have observed any green or blue, but I do remember that the lower edge of the purple had a very faint blue tinge. All these resting against a dark background gave them an indescribably gorgeous appearance, the lines of colour seeming to be divided by stripes of black. They all lay in horizontal lines one above the other. My impression is, that those colours appeared at the moment the shadow passed from the lower edge of the Sun, though I am not positive.'