459 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I767. 



rated by 3 ' 45'". This quantity therefore is to be added to the height of Venus's 

 atmosphere (15.5) as stated by Rohlius; which makes the true height \g".25, 

 that is above -f of the diameter of the planet. I cannot but reflect with some 

 degree of national triumph, on the great part that our own country may justly 

 claim, in many of the most curious discoveries in all parts of the world. 

 Mr. Meyer generously confesses how much he stood indebted to English artists. 

 You told me that it is your intention to present that curious tract to the Royal 

 Society, You may likewise communicate this if you think it contains any thing 

 worthy of their notice. 



XXXIX. Observations of the Suris Eclipse, ^ug. l6th, 1765, taken at Caen, 



in Normandy. By Nathl. Pigott. p. 204. 



Eclipse begins true time at 3" 48" l6' "J hence the mid. was at 4" 24"" 36* 



end at 5 4 56M and greatest phase obs. at 4 18 39 



mid at 4 24 36 f ■ 



dur at 1 12 40^ ) whence the eel. incr. for 5 57 of 



time, in which the sun's diam. ilium, decreased 36" 14"'j 



therefore from the sun's diam. illuminated at 4" 1 8"" 39' = 27' 4" 35" 



take the decrease in + 5 57 = 36 14 



leaves the diameter of the sun, at the middle 4 24 36 = 26 28 2 1 



which taken from the mean diam. measured * 31 43 20 



gives r 5 14 59 



the quantity of the eclipse, or segment of the diameter eclipsed, which is 1 digit and 59'. 1 5 of a 

 digit, or 1-|^ = 2 digits nearly. This eclipse was observed with an achromatic refractor of 6 feet, 

 and a micrometer made by DoUond. The weather very fine. 



The times, as computed from the tables at the end of M. De la Lande's Astronomy. 



differfnce. 



Beginning at 3" 48"" 24.6' observ.at 3' 48"" l6' 0" 8'.6 



Middle 4 25 11.0 4 24 36 35.0 



End 5 1 57.2 5 56.5 1 0.7 



Duration .1 13 32.6 1 12 40.5 52.1 



Also the latitude of the moon was, by observation, 1 6" greater than the tables gave it. 



XL. Extract of a Letter from John Ellis, Esq. F. R. S., to Dr. Linrueus, of 



Upsal, F. R. S., on the Animal Nature of the Genus of Zoophytes, called 



Corallina. p. 404. 



I have now finished a collection of that genus of zoophytes, which you call 

 corallina; and with the assistance of Dr. Solander, have made a description of 

 each species: I have taken care to dissect them minutely, and to pass them in 

 review under his eye in the microscope, in order to establish a true general 

 character of this genus. I have attended more particularly to examine the 

 nature of these bodies, in order to confute the opinion of some late writers on 

 zoophytes, who, for want of good microscopes, and a proper care in chemically 

 analysing them, have asserted that they were mere vegetables. 



The first of these is Dr. Job Baster, of Zealand, who, in the Philos. Trans., 

 vol. lii. p. 111. (p. 537, vol. xi. of these Abridgments) asserts that the 



