90 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [Proc. 3D Ser. 



disturbance of the limb was very great. The dark com- 

 mingling or overlapping increased in length, breadth, and 

 darkness; and at last changed to a line of blackness when 

 the actual limb of the Moon's image touched upon the Sun's 

 condensed, brighter and actual border. There was no 

 hesitation in noting the time of this contact by several 

 observers. At the time of the last contact, four of the 

 observers watched the phenomenon. The borders of the 

 two discs were more unsteady than at the first contact, and 

 the reversed order of the first contact-appearances took 

 place. A great mountain range of the Moon was the last 

 to disappear. The two exhibitions were very instructive. 

 At the total solar eclipse of January 11, 1880, on the 

 Sierra Santa Lucia, 6,100 feet above the sea, we observed 

 the phenomenon under peculiar circumstances fully detailed 

 in the official report. The atmosphere was beautifully 

 serene after a prolonged and terrific storm of wind and 

 snow. The limb of the Sun was not absolutely steady but 

 exhibited occasional tremors or shiverings, and there was no 

 disturbance of the limb at first contact. "The cusps were 

 very sharp and clear, and whenever a tremor occurred on 

 account of any slight atmospheric disturbance these cusps 

 were apparently doubled." (At Oakland where the atmos- 

 phere was much disturbed the cusps appeared confused and 

 blunted.) As totality approached, the crescent of the Sun 

 was remarkably long and narrow on account of the slight 

 difference of the apparent semi-diameters of the Sun 

 (16' 18". 1 ) and the Moon (16' 23" .5). The last line of the 

 crescent was 30 to 40 long before it broke. It exhibited 

 no distortion from atmospheric disturbances except an occa- 

 sional tremor or shivering. The cusps, before the crescent 

 was reduced to a line, were remarkably sharp, curved points, 

 as if cut by the finest graver. The breaking of this last 

 thin line of sunlight was occasioned by the intrusion of the 

 lunar mountains and the inequalities of outline. It pre- 

 sented the appearance of a line of bright dots and dashes, 

 and black spaces. There was no wavy motion to interfere 

 with this exhibition ; whenever a bright spot or a line 



