Royal Astronomical Society. 29.5 



of 32'5 parts of zinc, arranged as a voltaic battery, was able to evolve 

 a current of electricity capable of decomposing and transferring the 

 elements of 9 grains of water, being the full equivalent of that num- 

 ber. The relation of electricity, thus evolved, to that of the common 

 electric machine is pointed out in a general way, and the enormous 

 superiority as to quantity, in the former mode of action, is insisted 

 upon. In conclusion, the author refers to a statement which he has 

 made in the third series of these researches*, in which he expresses his 

 belief that the magnetic action of a given quantity of electricity is also 

 definite ; and he is now more confident than ever that this view will 

 be fully confirmed by future experiment. 



ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 

 December 13, 1833. — The following communications were read : 



I. Observation of the Occultation of 63 Tuuri, January 30, 1S33, 

 made at Saville Row, by R. Snow, Esq. Also, Observations of the 

 Solar Eclipse of July 17, 1833. The immersion of 63 Tauri took 

 place at 7 h 58 m 41 s -00 sid. time, corrected for clock error. The star 

 started and glimmered just before its disappearance. Instrument, 

 42-inch refractor, power 80. 



The eclipse of the sun was observed as follows : 

 July 16, 1833. 



h m s 



Beginning of eclipse 43 14-06 sid. time, rather uncertain. 



A small solar spot in contact . . 54 43 - 06 well observed. 



Ditto disappeared 55 1*06 well observed. 



End of eclipse 2 28 3906 excellent. 



Latitude of place of observation, 51° 30' 39". 

 Longitude of ditto, 33 s- 01 west. 



" The eclipse was observed with a 42-inch refractor, power 40. The 

 eye was protected with a medium composed of green and purple glass, 

 which, without in the least distressing it, gives a perfectly white image 

 of the sun, excepting that there is a slight tinge of yellow just round 

 the edge of his natural disc ; but no such yellowness was perceivable 

 round the edge of the indentation formed by the encroachment of the 

 moon's limb. Towards the end of the eclipse, there was not the 

 slightest perceptible undulation ; and so sharply was everything de- 

 fined, that an intensely black, but excessively fine, outline marked the 

 precise boundaries of the light and darkness in the two bodies. I 

 have before observed the same kind of black band accompanying an 

 eMremely well-defined bright line viewed in a dark room." 



II. Observation of the Solar Eclipse of July 17, 1833, at Heme 

 Hill, four miles and a half south of St. Pauls. By Captain Horsburgh. 



III. Observations of the Solar Eclipse of July 17, 1833, at Bedford. 

 Bv Captain Smvth, R.N. In a letter to the President. 



Corrected Sidereal Time. 



h m i 



Commencement 42 4.Vs:; 



Appulse to a solar spot . 54 15*63 



Occultation of ditto ... 54 18*13 



Illuminated part :• 44" at I 32 10*63 



End 2 28 26-85 



' Sec l.oml. and Kdinb. Phil. Mag. vol. iii. p. 358, </ serf. 



