408 The solar Eclipse of April 17, 1912 



and was almost immediately pulled up again. I have no 

 doubt whatever that if the eclipse had been total, it would 

 have been a very dark one. 



The central phase was now close at hand, and the 

 appearance of the luminaries changed so rapidly that it 

 was impossible to time the changes. After the light of the 

 whole solar crescent had become quite red, my attention was 

 attracted to the lower (S.E.) luminous cusp, which seemed to 

 become indented by black bands or teeth. Then the upper 

 (N.W.) cusp showed a similar phenomenon ; and, almost in 

 a moment, the black teeth spread over the whole crescent, 

 which then offered a magnificent spectacle. The bands or 

 teeth did not span the crescent always by the shortest path, 

 but they crossed and intersected each other like a crystal- 

 lisation. There was, however, but little time to study them. 

 Very quickly the dark disc of the moon advanced and 

 pushed the beautiful network over the eastern edge of the 

 sun, which it totally obscured, and, apparently at the same 

 moment, the network reappeared, coming over the western 

 edge of the sun, attached to the black limb of the moon, and 

 at the same time held by the limb of the sun. In a few 

 moments the uncovered crescent of the sun had increased 

 so much that the delicate lacework could no longer bear 

 the tension ; it parted and disappeared instantly, while at 

 the same moment the dark limb of the moon recovered 

 its perfect smoothness of outline. 



The central phase of the eclipse was over, and I could not 

 say that I had seen either a total eclipse or an annular one, 

 but I had witnessed a very remarkable natural phenomenon. 



All the phenomena were so astonishing and followed each 

 other so closely that it was impossible to pay attention to 

 every detail. The two crescents, the disappearing and the 

 reappearing one, seemed to be situated diametrically opposite 

 to each other. I perceived nothing on the upper (N.) or the 

 lower (S.) edge of the common disc, but there might have 

 been a thread of light or a string of minute " beads " on one 

 or both of them ; and, consequently, I cannot say if the light 

 of the disappearing crescent passed round the northern or 



