== HS 
Observations during former eclipses. 
Not before the observation of an influence during several 
eclipses it will be possible to solve the problem in hand. In 
view of the rareness of total eclipses, it is therefore of 
importance to take into consideration former observations as 
well. 
For this verv reason I venture to call attention to a paper 
by the first director of the Batavia Observatory Dr. P. A. 
BerGsma „Magnetische waarnemingen gedurende de zons- 
verduistering van 12 Dee. 1871. Natuurkundig Tijdschrift 
voor Nederlandsch-Indië 1873”. 
To begin with, Dr. BERGSMA mentions all that has been 
observed in comneetion with the question under consideration, 
and from this historical compilation it appears that everything 
done before 1870 may be safely dismissed without further 
notice. 
In 1870 series of observations of the declination were 
made in /faly (solar-eclipse of 22 Dec. 1870). viz. at Terra- 
nova, (Sicily, totality), Naples, Home, Livorno, Florence, 
Bologna and Moncalieri. 
Mr. DramirLa—Mürrer, the organizer and observer at 
Terranova, laid down his reports in the C. &. LXXII pag. 
575 and 1230, while he published the observations in full 
in a paper entitled: Melisse totale del sole del 22 Dec. 1870. 
Osservazioni meteoriche ev _magnetiche esequite in Terranova di 
Sicilia. Relazione di D. EK. Dramirva— Mürren e Lucciano 
Serra. Milano, R. TrEves 1872. DiaMiLLA—MürLLeR was 
of opinion that he had observed a verv pronounced in- 
Huence, but in a sharp criticism BERGSMA proves: firstly, 
that DraMmirra—Mürurer made the observations in a super- 
ficial way and interpreted them with a biassed mind, 
secondly; that by mistake the scale-value for Terranova was 
counted double. 
In 1871 BerGsMA made some observations of the declination 
Batavia and at Buitenzorg, and afcer a scrupulous examination 
was led to the conclusion that the Italian observations no 
