1870.] DOCGLAS — ON OBSERVATIONS OF THE SUN. lo5 



" It reminded mc of the appearance one sometimes sees on the 

 face of a cliif "where the rock is broken by horizontal and vertical 

 lines. The same, or nearly the same appearance would bo pre- 

 sented if one were to view columnar basaltic rocks from a point 

 where the rocks in the rear would rise above those in front. I 

 would, therefore, suggest whether these lines may not have a 

 similar origin, and each be the outline of a vast column of 

 luminous matter thrown up above the atmosphere of the sun." 



Capt. Ashe has made accurate drawings of the structure of 

 the protuberances from our magnified photographs. No sem- 

 blance of a spiral structure, such as was thought to be discernible 

 in the Indian pictures, exists; but dark lines cut the flame 

 longitudinally and transversely, giving it the appearance — as 

 described by Mr. Vail — of being built of huge blocks, laid in 

 irregular rows. The same structure may be recognized in the 

 lower protuberance on the western limb. The outhue of these 

 flames, as delineated in the photographs, is not sharp, especially 

 on their western side, where a hazy band, like a shadow, is very 

 manifest. The bright band of light, broken into flickerin<^'- 

 flames, which surrounds the eastern limb, exactly corresponds to 

 Lockyer's description of the chromosphere. It presents, however, 

 a different structure on the western limb, where it forms two 

 concentric bands of light, extending round the sun, from the 

 large protuberance on the lower limb, for about 90*-*. Between 

 the bright bands is a dark space. Within the rings are enclosed 

 three protuberances. The axes of all these protuberances arc 

 parallel to one another, and the chromosphere is crossed by 

 numberless lines parallel with one another and the protuberances, 

 and not radiating from the sun's centre, but at right angles to its 

 axis. It would be presumptuous to offer any explanation of 

 these appearances before comparing our pictures with others, as 

 even photographs are liable to so many sources of error. 



But justice has not been done our pictures in England, whither 

 they were sent last autumn to the care of M. De La Bue. He 

 faintly praised pictures I. and II., but unhesitatingly pronounced 

 pictures III. and IV. to be worthless, as the telescope must have 

 moved or followed irregularly. He questions the fact of the large 

 protuberance having been seen to shoot up and then burn down, 

 and disregards the minute structure of the protuberances and the 

 chromosphere, considering them photographic blemishes. Mr. 

 Airy concurs in the opinion, which is strengthened, in his mind. 



