376 ■ Transactions. — Astronomy. 



the time of the eclipse. In New Zealand, the line of centrality 

 passed through West Wanganui, Collingwood, D'Urville Island, 

 and the Wairarapa, leaving the land on the East Coast at Castle 

 Point. At all places along the line of centrality, the duration 

 of the total phase was computed at 1' 58", the time being a few 

 seconds longer towards the east. At Castle Point, the totality 

 commenced at 7h. 35m. 12s. a.m., New Zealand mean time ; at 

 "Wellington, at 7h. 35m. 4s. ; and at Nelson, at 7h. 34m. 14s. 

 Observations of a more or less scientific nature were taken at a 

 number of places — Tahoraite, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Welling- 

 ton, Picton, Nelson, Collingwood, etc. ; and a large number of 

 papers and communications were made to the public press, and 

 to various scientific societies, conveying the impressions of the 

 various observers. 



From a review of the observations that were made, the 

 following conclusions were arrived at : — 



" Scarlet prominences were only moderately developed, and 

 were clustered chiefly at the equatorial and polar regions of the 

 sun. The best observers agree that the corona had a very 

 irregular outline, and was most continuous and vivid close to the 

 sun's limb, having the longest expansion reaching to nearly two 

 diameters from the western equatorial region. This large ex- 

 pansion appears to have had a strongly marked spirally twisted 

 structure, while all the other appendages consisted of radiating 

 pyramids. No laminated structures appear to have been observed 

 in any part of the corona. 



" Most observers agree in describing an intensely brilliant 

 flash or meteor, lasting for two seconds, at the commencement 

 of totality on the eastern side of the sun, and exactly over the 

 position of a large sun-spot that was just coming into view at a 

 few degrees south of the sun's equator. This flash is described 

 as having looked like a large electric lamp suspended at a little 

 distance from the moon's edge. At the close of totahty another 

 flash, similarly bright, but not so large and pointed, was seen on 

 the western limb of the sun, in a position corresponding with a 

 large sun-spot that was within 1' of arc of passing over the sun's 

 edge."*] 



I. — General Description. 



Mr. John Meeson, B.A., gives the following general descrip- 

 tion of the eclipse : — 



" The weather was perfect, the sky almost, if not quite, 

 cloudless, with a very light wind from the S.E.; a clear, 

 moistureless, frosty air ! My point of observation was my own 

 garden at Woodstock, Stoke, whence, from 6.45 a.m., when the 



* " Proc. Eoy. Soc, London," 19th November, 1885, " On the Total Solar 

 Eclipse of September 9," by Dr. Hector, F.E.S., dated 12th September, 

 1885. 



