PHENOMENA MANIFESTED IN TELEGRAPHIC LINES, ETC. 309 



ductive action analogous to attraction in the instantaneonsness of its 

 action at a distance. 



A similar liypotliesis luis been proposed by Professor Newton, of Yale 

 College. According to this tbe corona is made up of matter in tbe act 

 of streaming off from the sun, instead of being a permanent solar at- 

 mospbere, or a mass of revolving meteors. Tbe explosive actions, wbicb 

 are tbe most probable causes of tbe spots, may, perbaps, furnisb tbe 

 luminary matter, wbicb, dispersed at intervals by reason of tbe varying 

 action of tbe planets as it Hows away into space, forms tbe corona, 

 witb its accompanying radiations and streamers, visible in tbe total 

 eclipses. Tbe zodiacal light is also made of tbe streams of particles tlow- 

 ing away from the sun under tbe operation of solar repulsion. 



In the American Journal of Science, (March and July, 1855,) Profes- 

 sor Newton explains tbe irregular perturbations of tbe magnetic needle 

 by electric currents developed in the upper atmosphere (or photosphere) 

 of the earth by the arrival of the solar matter, which is probably tbe 

 substance of terrestriill auroras. 



Whatever truth may be in these speculations, they indicate a tendency 

 in the scientific mind of tbe day to adopt tbe conclusion that many of 

 tbe phenomena which have heretofore been considered entirely of a ter- 

 restrial character really belong to the solar system ; that not onlj^ are 

 disturbances of tbe magnetism of tbe earth connected with commotions 

 in the sun, but that cyclones and other violent movements of our atmos- 

 phere have a similar relation to the central luminary. — J. H. 



