254 THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. 
olavized. “Is it allowable,” asks now Mr. Prazmowski, “to conclude from 
this that the protuberances are solar clouds which consist, not of gaseous, but of 
vapory or fixed particles ?” ) 
Among the facts noted by Mr. Lespiault (54) we may point out this, that rays 
belonging to the corona proceeded out from very many points of the moon’s 
limb, but irregularly in direction and distribution, and some were also curved 
near the outer limit of thé corona. The irregularity showed itself very man- 
ifestly at about 233° from the north point, where the rays seemed to cross in 
all directions. 'The largest ray in the corona was from 80° to 110° distant from 
the north point. He measured the altitudes and bases of three of the protuber- 
ances, a, (2) e, (2) d, but without giving the time. 
The communicaticn of Mr. Bianchi (43) respecting the identity of the protu- 
berances of 1842 and 1860 would be of greater weight if more particular refer- 
ences were added. -This important defect, and then the objections that must 
arise in consequence of the different relative position of sun and moon, and the 
circumstance that Mr. Bianchi does not seem to have occupied himself specially 
in astronomical works, gives but little hope that his propositions would be 
established. The approximate agreement which we perceive in the drawings 
of different eclipses relative to the position of single protuberances loses much 
in weight when we consider the great number of the protuberances. 
Mr. Faye (50) did not observe the eclipse himself, but only collected observa- 
tions and compared them with earlier statements, and has endeavored to show, in 
opposition to the opinion of his colleague, Mr. Le Verrier, (23,) that the hypoth- 
esis of solar clouds is untenable, partly by reason of the differenee of form - 
seen at different localities, partly by reason of the rapid changes of form and 
color which are manifested during the totality, and partly on account of the 
impossibility of referring the phenomena of different eclipses back to a common 
fundamental point. Thus we have observed white protuberances, rose-colored 
protuberances, intense red protuberances, red and orange protuberances, peach- 
red protuberances, violet protuberances, black protuberances, white protuber- : 
ances, with black edges, without any reason having been assigned for these 
colors, and the transition from one to another. My. Faye then speaks of the 
phenomena of the corona and the halo of rays connected with it, which, according 
to his remarks, cannot be considered as belonging to the sun; and, furthermore, 
he. does not acknowledge as correct the conclusions drawn from the polarization ~ 
phenomena. 
Mr. Petit, (55,) (56,) who made numerous measurements of the heights of the 
protuberances, (not given, however, in his memoir,) considers the hypothesis of 
solar clouds as completely established by the whole series of recent observations, 
and remarks, at the same time, that not the least ground is given for the assump- 
tion of identity of the protuberances of 1842 and 1860. In the corona, which 
he saw 12™ before and 2™ 46° after the totality, he distinguishes three concentri¢, 
rings—an innermost brilliant ring of 7’ 30" breadth; a second ring, 9’ 30” in 
breadth; and an outer ring, 28’ broad, consisting of less regular light. Barometer 
and thermometer observations are also added. 
The expedition sent to Algeria, under direction of Mr. Laussedat, (68,) con- 
structed a temporary place of observation before the gate of Lambersa, and 
obtained, during the eclipse, various results which were transmitted to the Paris 
Academy at the same time with the very general report lying before us. ‘The 
results communicated called up an academic discussion, in which Mr. Faye (69) 
remarked, that since, according to Hansen’s statement, there is an atmosphere 
on the side of the moon opposite to the earth, and,-according to Herschel, the 
temperature of the moon’s surface in consequence of the long-continued sunshine 
reaches at least to the boiling point of water, the lunar atmosphere at the time 
of new moon must, by reason of the expansion, spread out, and become visible 
at the sides of the moon. He shows how in this way many phenomena of the 
