246 THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. 
Let us first contemplate the progress of the phenomenon in general. A very 
important circumstance was noticed everywhere, viz., that when (observing with 
the glass sereen) the sun seemed to’ have completely disappeared, and the sereen 
was then quickly removed, a bright solar crescent was still visible, disappearing 
some twenty or thirty seconds later. ‘This is the same phenomenon which Mr. 
Airy first saw in 1842, at the Saperga near Turin, and described by saying that 
he had observed the sun vanish ¢wice behind the moon. In the present case, 
some observers state that they saw a second solar crescent; others only remark 
that, after removing the screen, there was a dazzling brilliancy which compelled 
them to withdraw the eye from the eye-piece. This circumstance is especially 
important for the reason that it has influence upon the observed duration of 
totality, since it is evident that this duration will come out longer or shorter, 
according as the beginnmg and end of totality are observed with or without the 
sereen; also, the intensity of shade of the screen will have its influence. The 
greater part of the observers probably observed the beginning with and the end 
without the screen. : 
During the second vanishing of the sun, or even a few seconds earlier, nu- 
merous intensely red rays issued from the moon’s limb, the smaller ones of which 
soon disappeared, but the larger showed as protuberances after the eclipse was 
completed. According to some observers the vanishing solar crescent trans- 
formed itself into an intensely red border; while others saw, at the moment of 
the sun’s vanishing, the whole moon surrounded by a small red border, either 
of red pearls or flames, which seemed torua around it. It was noticed by every 
one that « red border preceded the appearance of the sun on the west side. 
The protuberances appeared upon the east, south, and north sides almost 
simultaneously, but only towards the middle of the totality did they come out 
upon the west, and gradually iereased in height, while the eastern ones con- 
tinually diminished, and entirely disappeared. 'Their color was red, more or 
less intense, and here and there orange. ‘The protuberances were better seen 
with a light red glass screen than without any screen at all, and with such a 
glass could be longer followed even after the totality, a circumstance of which 
great advantage can be taken in future observations. 
No ground was given for the assumption of a connexion of the protuberances 
with the solar spots. 
In the corona there were_to be distinguished the cnnermost small ring, the 
outer broad ring, and the rays or halo. 
Of the innermost smali ring the moon’s limb formed the interior limit, and a 
sharp circular line concentric with the moon’s limb, and about two minutes 
distant from it, the outer limit. The light was silver white, and of equal 
intensity throughout, or perhaps a little fainter just at the moon’s limb. 
The outer ring diminished in intensity as the distance from the moon's limb 
increased, and an exterior jimit could not be assigned to it. 
The rays reached a distance of more than a diameter of the moon, and were 
partly straight, partly curved. 
The corona was seen for several minutes before and after the totality. 
Phenomena exactly corresponding to the fringes and pearls described by 
Baily were not recognized. 
The darkness during totality was, in America, equal to that of night. In 
Spain and Algiers there remained a twilight sufficient to enable the observer, 
without a lantern, to recognize the seconds of the chronometer, and to read 
coarse print. ‘The planets and stars of the first magnitude in the vicinity of 
the sun were easily perceived. As regards the planet of Lescarbault, its non- 
appearance contributed to confirm the opinion which the great number of 
astronomers had already formed relative to if. 
The dark spots or fringes which were first seen, in 1842, to pass over on the 
floor or on white walls immediately betore the totality attracted the attention of 
