Au(;usT 1, 1898.] 



KNOWLEDGE 



187 



no great drawback attaches to it in this respect. In one 

 point, however, it is inferior to the slit spectroscope. If the 

 lines, say from a prominence, are broadened by increase 

 of temperature or pressure, or distorted or displaced by 



Fig. 2.— To illustrate tlie relative extcuts of tlie fielils of view 

 of a Slit Spectroscope and a Prismatic Camera during an Eclipse. 

 The Prismatic Camera embraces the whole area of the pheno- 

 menon outside the dark disc of the moon. The Slit Spectroscope 

 only tlie minute portion of it under the slit. For observation of 

 the " Flash " the slit must be most exactly placed as at S S. 

 If outside the limb of the Sun, as at R R, the " Flash " will 

 be entirely missed ; if within, as at T T, only a very small 

 portion of it will be seen. 



motion in the line of sight, such change in the shape of 

 the line is detected in the slit spectrum : it is confused, in 

 the spectrum with the prismatic camera, with the shape of 

 the prominence itself. Where both forms of instrument 

 can be used, the slit form of spectroscope should therefore 

 not be neglected. If, however, only one form can be 

 employed, and a choice between the two is allowed, then 

 it would be simple folly to prefer the form of the slit 

 spectroscope — with its limited field of view, and the risk 

 that a minute error of adjustment may shut out from it the 

 most important stage of the phenomena (Fig. 2) — before 

 that of the prismatic camera, with its instructive detail, 

 and its grasp of the eclipse in its entirety. 



ALEXANDER GOODMAN MORE. 



On the 22nd of March, 1896, Alexander Goodman More, 

 F.K.S.E., F.L.S., M.R.I. A., etc, sometlme Curator of the 

 Science and Art Museum, Dublin, passed away, aged about 

 sixty-five years. His life had been one of much suffering 

 and disappointment, owing to constant ill health, but was 

 and is most fruitful to others who can reap where he has 

 sown by patient study in the world of nature. Friends 

 have eagerly awaited the volume of More's "Life and 

 Letters," which is now before the public,* and proves to 

 be a perfect treasury of interesting facts and information 

 about birds, beasts, and butterflies — such a book as every 

 naturalist may be glad to possess, and will find himself 



constantly referring to. Of the man himself this bio- 

 graphy will tell a stranger little ; a fact to be regretted, as 

 More's personality was singularly attractive and original. 

 Those who knew him well will not soon forget hia quaint 

 dry humour, his royal disdain of "shams" and double 

 dealing in every form, and his determination to secure 

 accuracy in the minutest details. His kindness and for- 

 bearance towards young naturalists were imfailing, but he 

 never allowed them to rejoice in the triumph of a new 

 " find " until it was absolutely verified by careful exami- 

 nation. More's own name will be best preserved by the 

 book " ( 'ybele Hibernica , ' ' which he prepared in collaboration 

 with the late Dr. Moore, of (llasnevin Botanic Gardens 

 (Dublin). Prof. Babington wrote " Hints " towards such a 

 work in 1B59, and one of my friend's latest efforts was to 

 correct the proofs of a re\nsed edition in 1893. This is now 

 a standard work upon Irish botany, but More also wrote a 

 goodly number of important magazine articles : " Studies 

 on the Birds and Flowers of the Isle of Wight," " On 

 Migration, Distribution, and Habits of Birds," etc., while 

 keeping up correspondence with Darwin, Babington, Dr. 

 Gimther (on -fishes), De Candolle, Newton, and others. 

 Yet he was never too busy to reply to the letters of old 

 friends, and I well remember the patience with which he 

 studied and triumphantly verified the lesser water lily 

 (Xuphiir int'imi-Uiim), discovered in one of his rambles 

 beside our lake. We grew tired at last of sending him so 

 many specimens of the plant in different stages of growth ; 

 but he persisted with his usual caution : " Verify, verify. 

 Better take trouble and be quit, sure." In spite of ill 

 health, and, in later years, lameness. More was an enthu- 

 siastic collector, and his discoveries added the names of 

 many plants to the list of British flora. I think the little 

 Xt'otinia intiutu was among his most valued " finds," but 

 Chant alojwruroiJi's, identified by Prof. Babington in 1864, 

 was also a special treasure. From 1867 to 1887 More 

 worked in the Dublin iluseum, first as Assistant, after- 

 wards as Curator ; and the improvements made during 

 those years must have been very great. He had pre- 

 eminently the power of drawing out what was useful in 

 others, and had soon an earnest band of collectors labouring 

 for him all over Ireland. As an example of the above we 

 note that in 1885 a White's thrush, a wood sandpiper, 

 and a spinous shark were secured for the Museum — all 

 rare, and the second a first specimen found in Ireland. 

 To record here even the most interesting of Mr. More's 

 captures would be impossible. We must refer our readers 

 to the biography for details. He never paraded his know- 

 ledge, never boasted of his success ; but as years go on 

 one feels that his patient accuracy will make his work 

 permanent, when the memory of more brilliant men has 

 faded away. C. Maud Batteesby. 



* Edited by C. B. Moffat, b.a. Pp. 6-H-. Published by Hodges, 

 Figgis, & Co. , Dublin. 



HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH THROUGH A FLY'S 

 EYE. 



By Fred. W. S.axby. 



IN order to perform this delicate and interesting 

 experiment a photomicrographic apparatus will be 

 required, and the operator should have some ex- 

 perience in the mounting of microscopic specimens. 

 The object of the experiment is to obtain a multiple 

 photograph of the subject, the images of which are to be 

 formed by the lenticular facettes of an insect's compound 

 eye. V/ith few exceptions insects possess two of these 

 eyes, one on either side of the head. The outer covering, 

 known as the cornea, no longer functions as a single lens, 

 but is subdivided into a multitude of extremely small 



