Mr. Airy on the Total Solar Eclipse of July 8, 1842. 391 
the telescope the body of the moon, but could not discern any bright 
spot that might be mistaken for a hole; nor could I discover any 
coruscations issuing from the dark side of the moon. ‘These, how- 
ever, were only moméntary observations. I was told that several 
stars were seen, but I could not spare the time to look about for 
them myself; every moment was occupied with more important 
matter. 
Having thus given a detail of all the principal circumstances that 
occurred, and precisely in the manner in which they presented them- 
selves to my view, as far as my recollection (committed to paper 
immediately after the event) will assist me, I had intended to haye 
subjoined to this communication an account of the several pheno- 
mena that had been noted on former occasions of this kind, and to 
have compared the various descriptions with each other, in order to 
see how far any differences that were observed might be reconciled 
with present appearances. Or, in other words, to have presented a 
sort of historical view of the subject, somewhat similar to the plan 
which I adopted in my memoir relative to the annular eclipse in 
1836, But I fear that I may already have encroached too much 
on the time of the meeting; and I am moreover of opinion that a 
review of this kind can be taken with greater advantage at a more 
advanced period of time, when we may be in possession also of the 
several observations that have been made on the present eclipse at 
different places on the Continent, and which might thus be intro- 
duced into the comparison. Should such a measure be thought 
desirable and useful to future observers, I may probably intrude 
again upon the time and attention of the Society. 
IV. “ Observations of the Total Solar Eclipse of 1842, July 7 (July 
8, civil reckoning).”” By G. B. Airy, Esq., Astronomer Royal. 
In the past summer I made a journey to Turin, principally for the 
purpose of observing the solar eclipse at a place where it would be 
total. My intention was rather to observe the nature and succes- 
sion of the general phenomena of a physical character than to 
make any precise observations of absolute time or absolute measure, 
or to attempt to deduce corrections of the elements of the moon’s 
motion. I carried with me a small telescope by Simms, mounted 
on a short tripod stand, of 1:9 inch clear aperture, and about 14 
inches focal length. For the use of this 1 am indebted to the kind- 
ness of Mr. Simms. I had carefully tried it on the sun’s disc, and 
had satisfied myself that it was abundantly competent for the obser- 
yation of those phenomena of eclipses which have excited so much 
interest: it is indeed a very good telescope of its size. I had also 
a duplex pocket-watch. 
Haying crossed the Alps by the pass of the Little St. Bernard, I 
had the good fortune, at Cormayeur, to meet Professor Forbes, We 
made arrangements at once for journeying together to Turin, and for 
observing the eclipse in concert, We reached Turin late in the evening 
of July 5. 
The next day was spent in the examination of the instruments and 
localities of the Observatory of Turin, under the auspices of M, 
Plana, and in the inspection of the hill and church of the Superga. 
