THE ECLIPSE OF 1870. 59 



spectroscope, and in the same manner. And lastly 

 came the crowning discovery of all the recognition y 

 by Dr. Huggins, of the fact that the prominences 

 themselves, as distinguished from the lines of their 

 spectra, can be seen when the sun is not eclipsed. By 

 Huggins's method, Lockyer and Zollner obtained inte- 

 resting views of the prominences, and witnessed the 

 strange and in some instances rapid changes to which 

 these objects are subjected. But Kespighi of Italy has 

 been even more successful, or, rather, more systematic 

 in nis researches. For he has succeeded in obtaining 

 daily records of the condition of the sun's edge, not in 

 one place only but all round. So that we have every 

 reason to anticipate that before long astronomers will 

 be able to watch the changes of the prominences from 

 day to day as systematically as they already watch the 

 progress of the solar spots. If each day there were a 

 total eclipse, instead of but an eclipse or so per year, 

 we could not have such complete and perfect records of 

 the sun's condition as some of those which Professor 

 Respighi has obtained for every fine day during two or 

 three consecutive months. I have one of his monthly 

 pictorial records before me as I write ; and it would 

 certainly be vain for the most skilful artist to attempt, 

 during even so long lasting an eclipse as that of August 

 1868, to exhibit the prominences in such detail as we 

 find in each of the daily views forming this record. 



Astronomers and physicists had thus successfully 

 analysed the coloured prominences, or, to use Mr, 

 Lockyer's striking, if not strictly elegant, expression, 



