Sept. I, 1887] 



NATURE 



413 



The Lunar Eclipse of August 3. 



I OBSERVE the account given by "II. H." (p. 367) of the 

 eclipse of the moon as seen at Hamburg on August 3. Here 

 the ajipearance was certainly unusual ; at least I never saw any- 

 thing like it. The shadow cast on the moon (with a perfectly 

 cloudless sky) was irregular and jagijed. I at first thought it 

 was a cloud, but, on looking repeatedly at intervals, I continued 

 to observe the same apoearance ; allowance beinq; made for the 

 progress of the eclipse. I was prevented by circumstances from 



watching continuously, but observed it at a little before 9, and 

 again repeatedly between 9 and 10. M. C. 



La Tour de Peilz, August 22. 



As seen from Killin, on Loch Tay, the shadow on the moon 

 had no form similar to that given by '* H, H.," in your issue 

 of August 18 (p. 367) ; the sky was clear, and it seems possible 

 that the clouds caused the straight lines shown in the diagram. 



H. P. Malet. 



masAmarhu island. 



CAPTAIN MACLEAR, commanding H.M.S, Flying 

 Fish, obtained, during his voyage home in April 

 last, two sections of the slope of the coral reef surround- 



ing the small island of Masdmarhu, situated in the Red 

 Sea in lat. 18' 49' N., long. 38" 45' E. 



As accurate sections of reefs standing in deep water are 

 comparatively rare, I have thought that a permanent 

 record of them in the pages of Nature will render them 



Sections of Coral Reef of Masamarhu, Red Sea. 



Scale of Feet 

 1000 



No. I. 



No. 2. 



more available to those interested. The reduced copies of 

 these sections, appended, show most of the more important 

 features. They are drawn on equal scales vertical and 

 horizontal, showing the true slope. The dotted vertical 



lines show where the soundings were obtained. Speci- 

 mens of coral sand brought home were not from depths sufifi- 

 cient to show thechangesof thelifeon the coral slopes. Mr. 

 John Murray, who has examined them, reportsas follows: — 



