elxii Proceedings. 
optical effect produced by the sun’s light passing through small 
spaces amongst the leaves of trees and making his image on the 
ground, became altered in shape as the eclipse was in progress. 
A photograph taken in Bombay, where the sun’s dise was not 
wholly obliterated, showed these patches of light as distinctly 
crescentic. A little series of photographs taken at fixed intervals 
before and after totality showed that the sun’s light did actually 
return more rapidly than it disappeared. The concluding observa- 
tions were on the spectroscopic phenomena just about the moment 
of totality or ‘‘ second contact.’ Just before the edge of the 
shadow completely hid the photosphere or luminous envelope of 
the sun, the usual spectrum with dark absorption bands was 
obtained, but the instant that was passed, the dark bands 
became luminous, and the continuous spectrum disappeared, 
save for a narrow central band or core. The explanation was 
as follows :—The photosphere is supposed to consist of clouds of 
minute incandescent particles, which would give a continuous 
spectrum like the rainbow, but the light has to pass through an 
outer envelope of incandescent gases. As these consist of various 
elements, each on its own account obstructs or absorbs one or 
more bands of coloured light, thus producing dark bands in a 
spectrum of solar light. The instant the inner light of the 
photosphere was cut off, each of these gaseous elements gave off 
coloured light on its own account (printing white in a photograph), 
and exactly from that portion of the spectrum which it had pre- 
viously obstructed. The central core of continuous spectrum 
was caused by light from the photosphere getting through between 
those mountains on the moon which were then on the edge of her 
disc. The interest of the paper, or rather lecture, which was well 
sustained throughout, was enhanced by descriptions—some of 
which were funny enough—of the doings of the observers while 
en route, and in India, and by pictures of scenery, of historic 
places, such as the Taj Mahal at Agra, and of every-day life in 
that famous and ancient country. 
I am again indebted to Mr. Baldock for the following account 
of the Whit Monday Excursion :— 
“On May 30th, being the Whit Monday Bank Holiday, a 
whole-day excursion was organized by Mr. J. H. Baldock to 
Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge. A numerous party arrived 
at Tunbridge Wells, and, after having a look at ‘ The Pantiles,’ 
and some members having had a taste of the water of the well- 
known chalybeate spring there, the walk was continued across the 
Common, through Nevill Park, on to Rusthall Common, where 
a visit was of course paid to the ‘Toad Rock,’ of which, with some 
other views on the Common, successful photographs were taken. 
Proceeding down High Rocks Lane, with the beautiful Happy 
