400 



NATURE 



{Sept. 9, 1875 



wind, but M. Plantamour thinks it is likely to be fine 

 weather, and on this recommendation I took a place in 

 the diligence for Chamouriix. . . . 



" Chamounix, Sept. 18, 185 1. — Last evening the stars 

 were shining through the opening clouds, giving promise 

 of improving weather, but a glance out of the window 

 this morning dispels all such anticipations. . . . 



" Chamoiimx, Sept. 19, 1851. — I woke this morning at 

 five, and my first impulse was to go to the window to see 

 the signs of the weather. Last night I had hopes of an 

 improvement. But I was surprised to find a clear sky ; 

 some clouds were resting round the aiguille, but the 

 summit of Mont Blanc was clear. Started for Mon- 

 tanvert at 7. 1 5 with a guide. ... 



" Mer de Glace. — . . . Attempted two or three times 

 to hide the sun's disc by projecting rocks to try to see 

 the red prominences, but could not get a station far 

 enough off. . . . 



" Chamounix, Sept. 20, 185 1. — Snowing fast in morning. 

 Weather desperately bad. But before going to bed it was 

 quite clear. . . . 



^' Chainotinix, Sept. 21,1851. — . . . The fine prospects 

 of last night were effectually put aside by another snow- 

 storm. ... 



Chamounix, Sept. 22, 1851. — The morning bad as 

 usual. . . . 



Chamounix, Sept. 23, 1851. — This morning still cloudy, 

 yet the prospect for an improvement was encouraging. 

 Soon after breakfast the sun appeared struggling in the 

 clouds, and I hurried oif with a spy-glass not to lose the 

 slightest chance of seeing the phenomena I wished to. 

 ... I spent two or three hours in the wet fields to no 

 purpose. In the afternoon there was an effort at clearing 

 again. 



'■'■ Chamotcnix to Martigny,Sept. 24, 1851. — The clouds 

 this morning still hung on the mountains, but overhead 

 there seemed some signs of clear sky. To make sure of 

 losing no chance I took an early breakfast and left for the 

 fields with the ordinary spy-glass belonging to the hotel 

 under my arm. Sometimes it would be almost clear, and 

 then again it began to rain, and I was undecided whether 

 to give up and start for Martigny or to stay another day. 

 At last I saw the sun's disc and took up my station on 

 the edge of the shadow of the Aiguille de Blettilre. It 

 was still cloudy, but I was satisfied from the nature of the 

 experiment — 



" I St. That a very clear air is necessary. 



" 2nd. Plenty of time to choose projections, affording 

 views of as large a portion of the circumference of the 

 disc as possible while the rest is hidden. 



" And lastly, a good achromatic telescope easily moved. 



" I did not expect to find it so easy an experiment, nor 

 to find a mass so well fitted for the purpose as the Aiguille 

 de Blettiere, which has a smooth edge, inclined, so as to 

 allow the sun to disappear slowly behind it, 



" The naked eye easily bears a small portion of the sun- 

 light. From 7 to 9^ I followed the shadow over the 

 valley. It was nearly clear for a few moments before it 

 reached the woods on the side of the mountain, but there 

 were still some hght clouds over the sun, and nothing 

 could be seen certainly of the corona 5 the clouds and 

 mist would account for what I did see, and on the other 

 hand the colour of the telescope supplied too much red 

 just at the edge for one to be able to see any of the red 

 flames, if they existed there. 



" On the whole, I am more than ever sure that the 

 experiment can be made, and I think will be by some one 

 more fortunate than I." 



SOLAR OBSERVATION IN INDIA 



"M^ OW that the subject of solar observation in India is 

 ■'■^ likely to occupy the attention of the scientific public, 

 he following details of the Solar Observatory now in pro- 



gress of construction at Calcutta may be of interest to 

 readers of Nature. 



The suggestion emanated in the first place from the 

 well-known Italian astronomer and spectroscopist, Prof 

 Tacchini, who was sent to India by the Italian Govern- 

 ment as director of the Transit of Venus Expedition. 

 The idea thus put forth was at once taken up by Pere 

 Lafont, the principal of St. Xavier's College. A subscrip- 

 tion was opened to enable the work to be carried on, and 

 in a short time the collections had amounted to 10,000 

 rupees, to which the Indian Government added 5,000 

 rupees. So warmly does the idea seem to have been 

 taken up, that a theatrical benefit was given, at the sugges- 

 tion of Col. Wyndham, in aid of the Observatory fund. 



The observations proposed to be carried out are to 

 supplement those made in Italy, where from November 

 to March (inclusive) the sky is often unfavourable for 

 observation. A complete annual record of changes in 

 the sun's chromosphere, &c., will thus be kept up. With 

 regard to instruments, an equatorial of 7-inch aperture is 

 now being constructed by Merz, but more funds are 

 needed to complete the instrumental " plant " of the Obser- 

 vatory, In course of time it is to be hoped that a transit 

 instrument and a complete set of meteorological appara- 

 tus will be added. 



The Italian Transit of Venus Expedition has thus been 

 the means of sowing seeds which, finding themselves in 

 a soil most favourable for development, are calculated 

 at no very distant period to bear fruit of the greatest 

 value to science. When in Calcutta with the Royal 

 Society's Eclipse Expedition, last April, I visited the 

 Observatory in company with Prof. Tacchini, and the 

 work of construction was then in a very advanced state. 

 Prof. Tacchini has recently written to say that the build- 

 ing is now almost completed. 



The energy which has been displayed in connection 

 with the Calcutta Observatory * redounds greatly to the 

 credit of our Indian colleagues. It is only by systematic 

 observations of this kind, carried on by public enterprise, 

 that we can ever hope to detect cyclical changes in 

 the sun's composition and constitution — changes which, 

 taking enormous periods for their completion, may de- 

 mand continuous records to be carried on even through 

 many generations. R. Meldola 



THE LAWS OF STORMS \ 



MFAYE, in the article referred to below, and of 

 • which we propose to give an abstract at con- 

 siderable length, begins by referring to the stupendous 

 force of tropical tempests as contrasted with those of 

 Europe, and to the practical importance of knowing the 

 laws which regulate them. Many persons, he believes, on 

 reading the title of his paper, will be surprised to learn 

 that hurricanes have laws, or will ask what an author 

 means by proposing to expound and vindicate the Law of 

 Storms. 



Laws of Storms. — Not only are storms subject to laws 

 of great interest to science, but from these laws practical 

 rules may be deduced which will enable us to avoid these 

 dangers, or escape from them, should we happen to be 

 caught in a storm. These rules are taught in all naval 

 schools, and are the foundation of the sailor's safety. 

 The validity of the laws on which they are based has, 

 however, been disputed by some writers on Meteorology, 

 and therefore the Bureau des Longitudes has authorised 

 the pubhcation of M. Faye's paper, in which he attempts 

 clearly to expound and to defend the disputed laws. 



Referring to the valuable labours of Piddington in 

 India and Redfield in the United States, and of Reid, 

 M. Faye says that the only premises they had to start 



* The Observatory is situated in St. Xavier's College, Park Street, 

 Calcutta. 



t Abstract of a paper, " Defense de la Loi des Tempetes, par M. Faye, 

 Membre de I'lnstitut," in the Annuairt of the Bureau des Longitudes for 



187s. 



