Ht Royal Astronomical Society. 



to those of stratification at an angle of 40° or 50°. We must 

 therefore conclude, according to the last paragraph, that the planes 

 of lamination approximately coincide with those which ivere formerly 

 the planes of greatest tangential action. 



The author does not regard this mechanical action as the probable 

 primary cause of the laminated structure, but rather as a secondary 

 cause, which may have had its influence in determining the positions 

 of the planes of lamination. He trusts that further evidence will be 

 collected on the subject. 



ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY. 



[Continued from vol. xxxi. p. 533.] 



Dec. 10, 1847.— Annular Eclipse of October 8-9, 1847. 

 Captain Jacob writes that '.' the eclipse was observed at Bombay, 



Bombay M. T. 

 h m s 



Eclipse begins 1 7 36 



Annulus forms 2 53 43 



Annulus breaks 3 1 15"5 



Eclipseends 4 28 6 



" From the place of observation the lighthouse bears S. 18° 40'W., 

 and Malabar Point flagstaff, S. 88° 55' W. : these two are points in 

 the trigonometrical survey ; but I have not the survey data, with the 

 exception of the latitude, 18° 53' 40", and longitude, 72° 51' 12" of 

 the lighthouse. From these and a good map of Bombay, I get for 

 my position, latitude 18° 56' 14", and longitude 72° 52' 07". The 

 survey longitudes are believed to be erroneous in defect rather more 

 than ]'. The bearings were determined by measurement with a 

 pocket sextant from the setting sun, and are probably within 2' of 

 the truth. The times of the beginning and end of the eclipse are un- 

 certain ; the former to 4' or 5^, the ej^e having been withdrawn from 

 the telescope at the moment ; the latter to 2* or 3*, from the sun's 

 limb being tremulous. The times of the annular phase were con- 

 sidered exact, and the resulting longitude of the place comes out 



r4'' 51'" 37^-51 r 72° 54' 22" "1 f ^, ^ ^. 



I ^7 -S r °^ I 97 I ^^^"^ these two times. 



" The day was remarkably clear for the season, not a cloud having 

 passed until near the end of the eclipse. Shortly before the annular 

 phase, a faint ray or brush of light was seen issuing from the sun's 

 northern cusp, which soon after extended in both directions as a 

 tangent to the sun's limb : nothing of the kind was visible at the 

 other cusp ; possibly it arose from a passing film of vapour. 



" When the annulus was about forming, the first thing noticed 

 was the light running rapidly round on the south side, leaving a 

 break of considerable extent, which seemed to arise from a i)rojecting 

 table-land in the moon. This was soon withdrawn, and at the same 

 instant a kind of ligament, or stalk, of about 1' in breadth, was seen 

 attaching the moon's limb to that of the sun, which was now quite 



