THE ECLIPSE OF l*7a 67 



the light came which gave the spectrum of bright lines 

 was visibly occupied by the corona at the time. Xo 

 question can remain then, it would seem, as to the 

 true source of at least a large proportion of that light. 

 The corona itself must have supplied it. 



We learn further, that at another station, near 

 Xeres, Mr. Abbaye made similar observations. 



From Sicily we have not such definite statements. 

 But the telegram received from Mr. Loekyer announces 

 in gyraeral terms that the American observations of 

 1869 have been confirmed; and the force of this 

 announcement is somewhat strengthened by the cir- 

 cumstance that Mr. Loekyer had been disposed to 

 believe that the American astronomers had been de- 

 ceived in 1869. 



In comparison with this result, that the light of 

 the corona gives a spectrum of bright fines or rather 

 a mixed spectrum in which bright lines are seen super- 

 posed on a rainbow-tinted background all the other 

 observations made during the late eclipse sink into 

 relative insignificance. Let us briefly consider what 

 conclusions may be deduced from the observed facts, 

 premising that the doubts which have been so long 

 allowed to rest on the statements made by the American 

 observers in 1869, ought not to prevent us from 

 assigning to them the full credit of attaining to the 

 discovery of these bright lines. 



In the first place, the rainbow-tinted spectrum 

 implies that a portion of the coronal light comes from 

 incandescent solid or liquid matter. It is barely 



r 2 



