62 De la Rue, Stewart, and Loewy on Solar Physics. [Feb. 2, 



It is shown by a Table that a tendency of spots to break out is followed 

 by a tendency of spots to decrease after making their appearance, and it is 

 thereby concluded that the influence moves faster than the earth. This 

 would seem to point to either Mercury or Venus as the agent in this 

 matter, but the behaviour varies too slowly to be caused by the former. 

 Venus, therefore, appears to be the influencing agent ; and whether the 

 behaviour of spots appears to depend on the position of this planet with 

 reference to the earth, or point of view, the following Table, in which the 

 spot-behaviour is compared with the corresponding position of Venus, will 

 show : 



Behaviour. 



No. of 

 series. 



1. Increase to centre. 



2. Break out. 



3. Decrease. 



5. Increase. 



6. Break out. 



7. Increase. 



8. Break out. 



9. Uncertain behaviour. 



1 1 . Increase to centre. 



1 2. Increase past centre. 



13. Break out. 

 15. Decrease. 



17. Increase to centre. 



18. Increase past centre. 

 20. Breakout. 



22. Stationary behaviour. 



24. Increase to centre. 



25. Break out. 



*26. Uncertain behaviour. 



27. Increase to centre. 



28. Increase past centre. 



29. Break out. 



31. Decrease shortly after appearance. 



32. Increase to centre. 



Position of Venus. 



A good deal to left. 



Conjunction. 



To right. 



Near opposition. 



Near conjunction. 



Opposition. 



Near conjunction. 



To right. 



Near opposition. 



Near opposition (to the left). 



Near conjunction. 



To right. 



Near opposition. 



Near opposition (to the left). 



Near conjunction. 



To right. 



Near opposition. 



Near conjunction. 



To right. 



Near opposition. 



Near opposition (to the left). 



Near conjunction. 



To the right. 



Near opposition. 



It will be seen from this Table that the behaviour of spots appears to be 

 connected with the position of Venus in such a manner that spots dissolve 

 when that part of the sun's surface in which they exist approaches the 

 neighbourhood of this planet ; while, on the other hand, as the sun's disk 

 recedes from this planet, spots begin to break out and i each their maximum 

 on the opposite side. 



* Venus and Jupiter are here opposed to one another. 



