No. 14. [From Nature, May 9, 1912, Vol. LXXXIX, p. 241.] 



THE SOLAR ECLIPSE OF APRIL 17, 1912 



THE study of the article by G. Fayet in the Revue 

 Scientifique of March 30, an account of which was given in 

 Nature, convinced me that, with favourable weather, the solar 

 eclipse of April 17 would prove to be interesting, although 

 its totality was extremely doubtful. 



I went to Paris on April 16 and put up at the Gare du 

 Nord. At 10 a.m. on April 17 I took a suburban train from 

 that station to Eaubonne, which was on the central line, as 

 shown in the map given in Fayet's article. I arrived there 

 about 10.35, an d after looking round I took up a station 

 at a seat by the roadside in front of the school. When I 

 arrived the boys and girls were being dismissed, by order 

 of the Minister of Education, so that they might see the 

 eclipse. Some of them came round me while I was looking 

 out for the first contact. They were much interested, and 

 were very well behaved. They all had the red glasses sup- 

 plied by an advertising firm, but they had a curiosity to see 

 the sun through my glass, which showed it in its natural 

 colour, and they were delighted with the effect. 



During the first hour they played about, because watching 

 the gradual encroachment of the moon on the sun was tedious. 

 When the diminution of daylight made itself felt they began 

 to gather round me ; so I told them they must not look at 

 me but look at the sun and moon, and notice all that they 

 saw, and that, while the eclipse was going on, they must not 

 speak to me or to each other. "Ne pas parler?" "Yes," 

 I said, " ne pas parler you must look and do nothing else." 

 They retired into the back part of the playground and stood 



