253 



NATURE 



\yan. lo, i: 



siderably shorter. At Cloverdale, the eclipse was observed 

 with great accuracy, but shortly before totality some cirrus 

 clouds passed over, all tinged with the most brilliant 

 colours of the rainbow. 



'' Venus appeared during the early stages of the eclipse, 

 while Mercury and the other planets were plainly in view 

 during every phase that was photographed. 



" At Willow, the temperature dropped 7°, but the fluctua- 

 tions of the barometer were quite imperceptible. The 

 velocity of the wind diminished at first, but afterwards 

 increased." 



Prof Todd secured a number of fine photographs of 

 the corona, showing, according to Renter's telegram, rays 

 extending 10° or 12° from the sun. 



At Wmnemucca, the United States Signal Service 

 observers made drawings of the streamers of the corona, 

 and also took successful photographs. They saw the 

 edge of the moon projected against the corona for some 

 time after the total phase had passed. 



At Lick Observatory, the eclipse was successfully 

 observed, and a number of photographs were taken. 



At Norman, California, the fourth contact was observed, 

 but the first was lost in clouds. The moon's limb was not 

 seen projected on the corona either after or before 

 totality, although careful search was made. The tele- 

 scope was used for making drawings of the corona 

 adjacent to the sun's poles, and the sketches show very 

 complex filaments. The negatives taken are excellent, 

 and show the corona very similar to that seen in 1878. 

 Long streamers were readily traced through 4°. 



The party of observation at Bartlett Springs report that 

 the corona was beautifully distinct, and that they saw re- 

 markable changes in the length of the coronal lines. 

 They obtained nine photographs of all contacts, studied 

 the structure of the inner corona, and made measures of 

 light intensity during totality. 



Four long streamers were seen proceeding from the 

 prominences, and the chromosphere was strong for a full 

 quadrant distance of the west side of the sun. The 

 northern and southern limbs of the sun showed a great 

 number of fine radiating filaments. 



At Chicago, a beautiful view of the corona was obtained. 

 Two long streamers pointed nearly west, and two shorter 

 ones were almost opposite. At the beginning of totality 

 intense red flames burst out on the sun's western side, 

 covering a space of 90°. The inner corona presented a 

 beautiful spectacle in the telescope. Its radiating fila- 

 mentary structure, with both curved and straight lines, 

 was distinctly seen. 



At Healdsburg, although only nineteen-twentieths of 

 the sun's surface were obscured, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, 

 Mercury, and the principal fixed stars were visible. The 

 corona also appeared with long rays of light parallel to 

 the sun's equator. 



Mr. Swift, Director of the Warner Observatory, stationed 

 at Nelson, California, reports that, as far as it afforded 

 an opportune search for an intra-Mercurial planet, the 

 eclipse was a failure, owing to clouds and haze. 



At Anaheim, no photographs were secured, but it is 

 claimed that an intra-Mercurial planet was seen during 

 the period of greatest obscuration. 



At Winnemucca, Nevada, one observer discovered a 

 comet near the sun. No appreciable change of tempera- 

 ture was noticed at this station. Accurate observations 

 were also made of the shadow bands. The corona was 

 similar in general appearance to that of 1878. The 

 streamers extended to a distance of from three to four 

 diameters, and the red protuberances were strongly 

 marked. 



At Grass Valley, during the period of totality, the 

 stars and large planets were seen with the naked eye, 

 and the corona and protuberances offered a grand spec- 

 tacle. The thermometer fell 7° between the moment of 

 first contact and totality. At Virginia City, Nevada 



Territory, the thermometer fell lo"^ during the progress 

 of the eclipse. 



At Blackfoot, Idaho, aU four contacts were observed. 

 A short time before totality the moon's limb was seen 

 projected against the corona. The mercury fell 13°. 



P>om the above accounts it is quite clear that new in- 

 formation touching many important points has been 

 secured. This is most fortunate, for the eclipse occurred 

 at a well-marked minimum of solar spots ; indeed, it was 

 as marked as that of 1878, when again the eclipse swept 

 over the American continent and was most fully observed. 



There seems no doubt that the expansion of the sun's 

 surroundings in the plane of its equator, dwelt upon 

 strongly by Newcomb in his account of the eclipse of 

 1878, has been re-observed. We read that this ring was 

 seen to extend some 2,000,000 miles on either side of the 

 sun, and to put on the appearance of two forked wings of 

 light. Not only in 1878 was this ring-like extension well 

 marked, but, in consequence of the extreme quietude of 

 the sun's atmosphere at the time, the exquisite structure 

 of the atmosphere over each pole was one of the most 

 striking features of the eclipse. The appearance was 

 produced by the structure of the coronas bending grace- 

 fully over from the sun's axis prolonged, that nearest the 

 pole bending least. This or something very like it has 

 evidently been again seen, and the photographs which 

 have been taken by Mr. Pickering's and other parties will 

 evidently give a good account of them. 



It must be noted, too, that the American astronomers 

 have, as might have been expected, used large telescopes. 

 We read of isinch and 8 inch refractors. Nothing so 

 large as this has ever been employed before in eclipse 

 expeditions, but then the parties this time have not been 

 far from their base. In one of the telegrams it is stated 

 that Mr. Pickering's party secured twenty spectrum 

 photographs of the corona. This, perhaps, is the best 

 news of all ; and we read, too, that the less refrangible end 

 of the spectrum has not been neglected. 



Considering the short duration of totality, the results 

 secured reflect the highest credit upon the organizers of 

 the parties and upon the individual observers. 



RECENT WORKS ON ALG.E> 



PROF. ASKENASY tells us, in a brief preface, that 

 the Algae collected during the voyage of the Scien- 

 tific Expedition in the Gazelle were intrusted to him for 

 examination, and that in the work he was assisted by 

 Herr Moebius, by whom the greater part of the excellent 

 figures in the plates were drawn. The remainder of the 

 figures, with the exception of those in Plate I., were 

 drawn by the editor, thus affording an apt illustration of 

 the great advantage to naturalists of acquiring facility in 

 drawing. 



In the determination of the Algae, Dr. Askenasy had 

 the assistance of MM. Bornet and Hariot ; the Characeae 

 and Conjugata^ were described by Dr. Otto Nordstedt, 

 by whom the well-drawn figures in Plate I. were exe- 

 cuted. Herr Grunow described the Cystophyllum and 

 Carpophyllum, and the difficult genus of Sargassum. 



The only new plant among the Confervaceas is Ana- 

 dyome7tc reticulata, Askenasy, from the Island of Dirk 

 Hartog, in West Australia. The Characcce, now included 

 among Algse, are rather numerous ; among them are two 

 new species of Nitella. 



' " Forschungsreise S.M.S. Gazelle" iv. Theil-Botanik, Algen ; mit 

 Unterstiitznng der Herren E. Bornet, A. G-unow, P. Hariot, M. Moebius, 

 O. Nordstedt. Bearbeitet von Prof. Dr. E. Askenasy. Mit 12 Tafeln. 

 (Brrlin : Ernst Siegfried Mittler und ^'ohn, 1S88.) 



" Om .structuren hos Champia och Lomentaria," med anledning af nyare 

 tydningar. Af J. G. Agardh, Ofversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens. 

 Forhandlingar, i£88, No. 2. (Stockholm.) 



•'Fresh-water Algae collected by Di. Berggren in New Zealand and 

 Australia." By Otto Nordstedt. With 7 Pla'es. Communicated to the 

 Royal Swed:sh Academy of Science, June 1887. ^Stockholm, 1888.) 



