72 New Theories of the Great Forces. 



producing results of such character and mag- 

 nitude can only act by more or less com- 

 pletely interrupting the development or 

 transmission of this fluid. 



The result of such action would be dis- 

 closed to us by a decreased brilliancy in the 

 direction of the sun. The so-called sun- 

 spot would be in character, magnitude, form, 

 and shade proportionate to the extent and 

 character of the disturbing force. The per- 

 manence or evanescence of the spot would 

 indicate the sun or earth as being the locality 

 of such derangement. The more permanent 

 form being developed at the sun, and the 

 more ephemeral at the earth. 



Any forces in operation at the earth which 

 might interfere with the intercommunication 

 of light, would lessen the brilliancy of the 

 light, at the earth -extremity of the cone- 

 space ; and the deficiency thus produced 

 would disclose to an observer at the earth 

 all the appearances of a spot upon the surface 

 of the sun. The so-called spot, thus produced, 

 might therefore not be regarded as a verita- 

 ble spot upon the sun's disc, but rather as an 

 optical illusion. 



