ASTRONOMY. 385 



ultra-violet photographed by Dr. Huggins; also H and A', and other 

 calcium-lines; and still others, chiefly unknown. 



Close to the sun's limb we can only trace a continuous spectrum, a 

 very strong' one, going up to about a quarter of a solar diameter. The 

 photographs bear out the distinction between the inner and the outer 

 corona, the former being much stronger in light. The boundary at 

 which this continuous spectrum ends corresponds to the extension of 

 the inner corona. The continuous spectrum is stronger on the side 

 where the prominences are weaker. In the corona we first of all see a 

 very faint continuous spectrum, and in that continuous spectrum one 

 can trace at G the reversal of the dark Frauenhofer lines. In addition, 

 a series of faint true coronal lines can be traced in the outer regions of 

 the corona. We have not traced any known substances in the solar 

 corona. The greater number of the prominence-lines in the ultra-violet 

 are also unknown, but they seem to be present in Dr. Huggins's photo- 

 graph of the spectrum of a Acpiila?. — {Nature.) 



The total solar eclipse of May 0, 1883.— The U. S. S. " Hartford," which 

 sailed from Callao, Peru, March 22, with the American and English 

 astronomers on board, arrived at Caroline Island April 20, sixteen days 

 before the date of the eclipse. The island is in reality a chain of small 

 islands of coral formation, encircling a lagoon, the length of the in- 

 closure being about seven miles and a half, and the breadth one mile 

 and a half. The land is low, but supports an excellent growth of grass 

 and other vegetation, including a number of cocoanut trees. There are 

 no permanent inhabitants ; but the island is leased by an English firm 

 which deals in guano, cocoanuts, and other products of this and similar 

 Pacific islands. An agent of this firm visits the island occasionally 

 and superintends the work of those employed. Seven persons were 

 found living on the island for the time being, having been brought there 

 from Tahiti two months before. These were four men, one woman, and 

 two children. There were two large frame houses in excellent condition, 

 besides several smaller houses which furnished comfortable accommo- 

 dations for the party, and also for the French astronomers, who arrived 

 two days later in the "Eclaireur." The latter party was composed of 

 the following scientific men: M. Janssen, of Meudon; M. Tacchiui, of 

 Rome; M. Palisa, of Vienna, formerly of Pola; M. Trouvelot, of Meu- 

 don, formerly of Cambridge, Mass.; and M. Pasteur, photographer, also 

 of Meudon. 



The landing of the heavy cases containing the instruments was ac- 

 complished with difficulty, as even the ship's small boats could not come 

 within several hundred feet of the shore, which was composed of rough 

 coral rock. The cases were taken from the boats by men standing m 

 about two feet of water, and carried to the shore, thence across several 

 hundred feet of coral rock to the land, and about a quarter of a mile 

 farther to the site selected for the observations. After the completion 

 H. Mis. (i!) 2o 



