RECENT SOLAR RESEARCHES. 85 



as well as the dark lines corresponding to the deep 

 vapour-masses laid bare by the removal of the photo- 

 sphere. And precisely in this way do the observations 

 recently made by Mr. Lockyer seem alone to be explic- 

 able. He sees the glowing vapours above the photo- 

 sphere stirred from time to time as by fierce tempests 

 nay, he is enabled to measure (very roughly, of course) 

 the velocity with which these solar winds urge their 

 way through the chromosphere itself, in the neighbour- 

 hood of the spots. The progress of these hurricanes 

 is often indicated by the appearance of bright lines in 

 those parts of the spectrum where usually dark lines 

 are seen. 



Truly Kirchhoff 's discovery of the significance of the 

 spectral lines is bearing wonderful fruit ! Who would 

 have thought that researches carried on with a few 

 triangular prisms of glass on the light from such a 

 substance as sodium, the basis of our commonplace 

 soda, would lead to the result that solar tornadoes 

 could be watched as readily with the spectroscope as 

 in Galileo's time the sun-spots themselves could be 

 traced across the sun's disc with the telescope?* 



(From the Spectator for July 2, 1870.) 



* I give this paper as it appeared in the Spectator. But there are 

 some points requiring correction. In the first place, the objectionable 

 word chromosphere (for chromatosphere) should be replaced by sierra. 

 Secondly, there is an error as to the absolute priority of Secchi in 

 recognising the sierra. He went considerably beyond all others in the 

 matter, having not only reasoned upon, but seen and photographed the 

 sierra, and having furthermore found evidence as to its nature when 

 studying sun-spots. But Professors Grant and Swan, as well as Von 

 Littrow, the Imperial Astronomer of Austria, had recognised the existence 



