PORTION OF THE COSMOS. THE SUN. 293 



1828, 1829, 1831, 1836, 1837, 1838, 1839, 1847, and 

 1848. 



" The spots are undoubtedly in close relation to the for- 

 mation of faculse. I have seen abundant instances of the 

 disappearance of spots being followed by the appearance in 

 the same places of faculse and f Narben' (scars, cicatrices), 

 and also of new spots showing themselves in the faculse. 

 Each spot is surrounded by more or less intensely lumi- 

 nous cloud. I do not believe that the spots on the sun 

 have any influence on the temperature of the year. I record 

 the indications of the barometer and thermometer three 

 times a day, but as yet the means deduced therefrom have 

 not suggested any sensible connection between climatic 

 conditions and the number of spots. Even if single cases 

 were to show such an apparent connection, it still would 

 not deserve to have any importance attached to it, until con- 

 firmed by temperature results from many other parts of the 

 Earth. If the solar spots should really have any minute 

 influence on our atmosphere, my table would perhaps rather 

 seem to indicate that the years when the spots were most 

 numerous had fewer clear days than those in which spots 

 were less frequent (Schwabe in Schum. Astron. Nachr., No. 

 638, S. 221). 



"William Herschel gave the name of facul to the 

 brighter luminous streaks which show themselves only 

 towards the margin, and that of Narben to the veins or 

 streaks which are only seen towards the middle of the sun's 

 disk (Astron. Nachr., No. 350, S. 243). I think I have 

 convinced myself that ' Faculse' and ' Narben' proceed from 

 the same condensed luminous cloud, which at the margin 

 of the sun's disk stands out brighter, but in the middle of 



