150 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Juny, 
Now by Faraday’s law the portions of the conductor AB, BC, 
CD &c. each contain equal quantities of electricity, therefore those 
portions EF, GH which are longest contain least electricity, per unit 
of length. The electricity, therefore, will be most concentrated at 
the point J of the conductor and least concentrated at the angles 
y, 8, and along the vertical portion KA. But the resultant pres- 
sure on the air, or tendency to produce discharge at any point near 
a charged body, is directly proportional to the electric density or 
the amount of electricity per unit of area at that point, therefore 
the discharge will be greatest at the point J, next greatest along 
the horizontal portions AH, FG, and least along the portions EF, 
GM and the vertical portion KA. The only difference being that 
at the point J the discharge although greatest will most probably 
be a silent one, whereas along the length of the conductor it will 
be disruptive or in the form of sparks. We may, therefore, expect 
to see with the eye no discharge along EF, GH, KL or at the 
point J, but sparks issuing from the horizontal portions AH and FG, 
IV.—Suggestions for Visitors to the Total Eclipse on 12th December, 
1871, dy Lieut.-Col. J. F. Tennant, F. R. 8. 
At the last meeting of the Society after the conclusion of my 
Memorandum the President suggested, that all who might have the 
opportunity should visit the Neilgherries, and should endeavour to 
contribute their share tu the result, and that those having spectro- 
scopes should use them. There is in fact no difficulty in seeing 
during the Total Phase of an Eclipse lines of light varying more or 
less in number and brightness with a spectroscope directed nearly 
to the sun; nor would it be impossible that any one so armed 
should see some lines of light or darkness which he believed 
to be unseen by others, but this would not be of any use. The 
light falling on the slit of a spectroscope at this time comes 
partly from the Corona and partly from the Protuberances, while 
there is of course such faint diffused light as is about. We know 
that this mixed light must vary with the point which happens to 
be in the prolongation of the line of vision of the spectroscope, but 
unless we can distinguish the objects which emit each ray we are 
_ really gaining little knowledge. 
