June 17, 1897] 



NATURE 



55 



of the air. With regard to cloud, the data shovy that the 

 coast districts between Karwar and Ratnagiri (which 

 includes the line of totality) is on the mean of the month 

 more free from cloud than any other part of the line of 

 totality. 



" The amount of cloud is practically uniform in amount over 

 the Deccan and Central Provinces, and is slightly greater in 

 Bihar than in the Deccan or Central Provinces. The amount 

 of cloud is very large at Darjeeling in January, and mist or fog 

 almost invariably forms after clear nights in the morning (about 

 9 or 10 a.m.), and prevails more or less steadily until late in 

 the afternoon, when it gradually disappears." 



Rain is of rare occurrence during the month of 

 January in the Konkan and Deccan. Its probability 

 increases in proceeding from west to east. In the Konkan 

 the average number of rainy days in the month is only 0*2, 



ticulars " issued from 

 mean times and the 

 are given. 

 Rajapur 



Eclipse begins January 

 Totality begins ,, 

 Totality ends ,, 



Eclipse ends ,, 



Nagpur 



Eclipse begins January 

 Totality begins ,, 

 Totality ends ,, 



Eclipse ends ,, 



the Nautical Almanac Office. Local 

 points of contact for direct image 



Long. 73' 35' E., Lat. 16° 40' N. 



Sun's 



Contact from alti- 



d. h. ni. s. N. Point. Vertex, tude. 



21 23 13 58 121° W. lOO W. <fl' 



22 o 47 42Vn..,„,:..„ ,„, ....^ ^^. 



Duration 2ni. 



22 o 49 44 / 



22 2 15 51 55° E. 13° E. 44 



Long. 79" 8' E , Lat. 219' N. 



Sun's 



Contact from alti- 



d. b. m. s. N. Point. Vertex, tude. 



21 23 56 20 123° W. 118' W. 50° 



22 

 22 



I 27 51 /Duration im. 1757 46^ 



5 

 22 2 49 15 



55° E. 10- E. 3S' 



Reg. No. M3 -K 



and in the eastern districts of the North-western Provinces 

 the average number is 2, and in Bihar vz. 



" The probability of a rainy day in January is hence about 

 six times as great in Bihar as in the Konkan in January. The 

 probability of any given day in January being rainy in the 

 Konkan is less than 1/150, and in Bihar 1/25." 



Mr. Eliot remarks, in connection with this, that skies 

 are usually remarkably clear after rain in the Gangetic 

 plain, and the atmospheric conditions for astronomical 

 observations are at such times much finer than are 

 ever obtainable in the Konkan or Deccan. 



The local astronomical conditions at three points along 

 the line of totality are thus stated in the " local par- 



NO. 1442, VOL. 56] 



The central line of Eclipse in Western India. 



Position south of Benares 



Long. 83" o' E., Lat. 24' 40' N. 



Sun's 



! Contact from alti- 



I d. h. m. s. N. Point. Vertex, tude. 



o 24 56 123° W. 128° W. 46 



^ fi j^)-^"''*^'^" im. 43S-6 40° 

 3 10 48 56° E. 10° E. 29' 



The Joint Committee of the Royal and Royal Astro- 

 nomical Societies have determined to send out three 

 parties to observe, one on the coast and two inland, at 

 stations to be subsequently decided upon. It has been 

 arranged that the party from the Solar Physics Observ- 

 atory will occupy the coast station if the Admiralty can 



Eclipse begins January 22 

 Totality begins ,, 22 

 Totality ends ,, 22 

 Eclipse ends ,, 22 



