I 



Solar Eclipse of July 28, 1851. 81 



Lecturer cited an expression from Dr Stukely's account of 

 the total eclipse of 1744, observed on a cloudy day, '* that 

 the darkness came dropping like a mantle :" and compared 

 it with his own, in similar weather, " that the clouds seemed 

 to be descending." But all agree in the description of livid 

 countenances, indistinct and sometimes invisible horizon, and 

 general horror of appearance. It is well that we are enabled, 

 by means of instances collected by M. Arago, to shew that 

 these are not simply the inventions of active human ima- 

 ginations. In one case, a half-starved dog, who was vora- 

 ciously devouring some food, dropped it from his mouth 

 when the darkness came on. In another, a swarm of ants, 

 who were busily carrying their burdens, stopped when the 

 darkness came on and remained motionless till the light re- 

 appeared. In another, a herd of oxen, as soon as the totality 

 was formed, collected themselves into a circle and stood 

 with their horns outwards. Some plants (as the convolvulus 

 and silk-tree acacia) closed their leaves. 



The darkness at Venice was so great that the smoke of 

 the steam-boats could not be seen. In several places, birds 

 flew against houses, &c. Where the sky was clear, several 

 stars were seen. In several places a reddish light was seen 

 near the horizon. A heavy dew was formed at Perpignan. 



The Lecturer cited an instance which had been related to 

 him by M. Arago, in which the captain of a French ship had 

 beforehand arranged in the most careful way the observa- 

 tions to be made : but, when the darkness came on, discipline 

 of every kind failed, every person's attention being irresisti- 

 bly attracted to the striking appearances of the moment, 

 and some of the most critical observations were thus lost. 



The most remarkable phenomenon observed in all pre- 

 ceding total eclipses, and seen equally in this, is the ring 

 of light surrounding the moon, called the corona. The Lec- 

 turer described the magical change, from the state of a very 

 narrow lune of solar light (the contour of the moon being 

 totally invisible), to the state of an entire dark moon sur- 

 rounded by a ring of faint light, as most curious and striking. 

 The progress of the formation of the ring was seen by his 

 companion, and by some other persons : it commenced on 



VOL. LI. NO. CI. — JULY 1851. p 



