138 



THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



[June) 



detected more lines in one than in another, and found different, 

 metals to occur at difierent altitudes in the prominences. This, 

 is not difficult of explanation ; for, supposing the protuberance to 

 be caused by violent convulsions, which displace the gaseous 

 envelope of the sun, while the lighter hydrogen which composes 

 the outermost layer will occupy the top of the flame, the heavier 

 metallic vapors will be lifted out of their appropriate strata, and 

 be detected about the base of the protuberance. Suppose, further, 

 that a protuberance on the eastern limb of the sun is examined at 

 the instant of totality, the heavier vapors of the base and the 

 lighter gases of the summit will both be uncovered, and give their 

 respective spectra ; whereas, if a protuberance on the opposite 

 limb be observed, as it is being uncovered, only the summit will 

 be visible, and the hydrogen spectrum alone be obtained, till just 

 before totality finishes, when the base of the protuberance comes, 

 into view. 



The followiuo' Table summarises the result : — 



Columns 1,2, 4 give the lines detected in three different protub- 

 erances; columns 3^ and 3^ those detected in a fourth protuberance, 

 during the observations taken at an interval of some seconds. 



There still remain, therefore, to be detected in the protuber- 

 ances many lines whose position in the chromosphere Mr. Lockyer 

 has determined, though the only metal, whose presence in the 

 chromosphere Mr. Lockyer is certain of, which has not yet been 

 found during an eclipse observation, is " Barium," 



THE CORONA. 



The corona, such as it appeared to an observer, as previously 

 stated, has been brought out in only one photograph, which was 

 taken by Mr. AVhipple. It is a very remarkable picture. In it 

 the corona resembles what it appeared to the naked eye, au 

 irregular, somewhat oval-shaped halo of light, lowest at the poles^ 



