166 Scientific Intdligence. 



20. A pair of Elephant's Tusks. 



21. Skeleton of the Iguana, &c. &c. &c. 



Art. XXVIII.—SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 

 I. NATURAL PHILOSOPHY. 



ASTRONOMY. 



1. Solar Eclipse of November 1826 observed at Naples* — 'ITie eclipse 

 of the sun was seen in the most beautiful manner under a true Italian 

 sky on November 29, though the weather preceding and following was 

 bad. As I had no proper instrument for observing it, I contented my- 

 self with throwing the sun's image through a pocket-glass on a sheet of 

 paper, and measured the observation. I had previously by projection 

 obtained the time of the eclipse, and during its continuance made several 

 meteorological observations, not a single cloud appearing on the horizon 

 to disturb their accuracy. The whole may be classed as follows : 



Naples. 



App. Time. 



11^ 16' Eclipse begins (calculated.) 

 12 Temperature in the sun, 844*. 

 12 2 Visible conjunction in AR. 



12 25 Dig. eclipsed 6' 33' (measured.) 



12 25i Middle. Digits calculated, 5"* 42'. 



12 27 Visible conjunction in Long. 



12 30 Temp, sun 8H°, shade 55°. 



12 35 nearly. Digits eclipsed 5" 15. 



12 40 Temp, sun 82|* shade 51 i°. 



12 46 Digits eclipsed 5° 2'. 



12 53 Temp, sun 84° 51^° -h in the shade 



1 Temp, sun 84|°, do 



1 Digits eclipsed 4" 12'. 



1 10 Temp, sun QT shade 52°— 



1 20 89° 52° + 



1 2f» Digits eclipsed 0° 55'. 



1 35 End calculated — Temp, sun 90°. 



As I had the means of making accurate observations, I resolved to try to 

 what accuracy the end might be determined by the naked eye, merely 

 screened by a smoked glass. At 1^. 32^, the eclipse was some way from 

 being oflP, and I believe that half a minute after it would not have appear- 

 ed to be gone, for at 1**. 33' I judged it to be just gone to a very few seconds; 

 and, on the whole, I think I may say, that, under such favourable circum- 

 stances, the end of a solar ecHpse may be determined by the naked eye to 

 a quarter of a minute on either side of the truth. Such is the accuracy of 

 the human eye in completing precisely the periphery of an unfinished cir- 

 cle. The space described by the moon from the sun in the sum of the above 

 specified limits did not amount to 15". In the previous experiments on 



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