Sept. 23, 1886] 
NaTuRE to know that in January 1881 I captured a single 
specimen of Perzfatus in the low, damp woods at Breves, on the 
island of Marajé, mouth of the Amazon. The specimen is now 
in the entomological collections of Cornell University, Ithaca, 
INGY. JoHn C. BRANNER 
Bloomington, Ind., U.S.A., September 2 
THE RECENT EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE 
i FORWARD the inclosed copy of a report made by 
the master of the steamship Za Va/e¢¢e in reference 
to the earthquake which occurred in Greece last month, 
in case you may not have received the report and might 
wish to publish it. 
W. J. L. WHARTON, Hydrographer 
Admiralty, September 20 
Report made by the Master of the s.s. “ La Valette” to the 
Superintendent of the Ports, Malta, furnishing 
certain particulars in connection with the earthquake 
which occurred on August 27 
On the 27th inst., at 11.30 p.m., whilst in lat. 
36° 18’ N. and in long. 21° 32’ E., or at a distance of 
50 miles W. 4 S. from Cape Matapan, I felt, all of a 
sudden, a very strong shock, which made the ship 
tremble, especially the engines, for the space of about 11 
seconds. The ship was proceeding at the rate of 10 
knots an hour, and with such shaking lost her course. 
The engineer thought that the screw had been lost. 
After the shaking was over all was right again. At mid- 
night in the direction west-north-west, in lat. 36° 17’ N., 
long. 21° 27’ E., I observed on our right something like a 
mass of thick black smoke, which, like a cone, was rising 
up perpendicularly from the horizon, and at intervals 
changing into a reddish colour. In the meanwhile a 
perfect calm prevailed, with heavy sea from west at inter- 
vals. At 4 a.m. of the 28th, when the ship was in lat. 36° 
12’ N., and in long. 20° 43’ E., the wind commenced blow- 
ing from north-west, which made the horizon a little clear. 
At 10 a.m. the mate, who was on watch on the bridge, 
reported tome that he had observed in the sea several 
stripes of a dark yellowish colour about one quarter of a 
mile long in the direction from north to south, which 
looked like shallows. The sea continued always heavy 
from west with very little wind. As the ship had a cargo 
of cattle, which suffer greatly from heat, I could not lose 
time in measuring the depth of the aforesaid stripes; 
therefore I tried to avoid them. During the navigation I 
thought proper to take precautions, as when I was at 
Alexandretta my owners informed me by telegraph of 
the report made by Capt. Tomlinson, of the steamer 
Transition. (Signed) Capt. L. AQUILINA 
Malta, August 29, 1886 
THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 1886 
WE suppose that if, some months ago now, when the 
question of sending out an Expedition to Grenada 
during the rainy season was first discussed, any one had 
prophesied that out of a party of eight seven would see 
‘the eclipse and record results, the general feeling would 
have been that such a view would have been too sanguine. 
This, however, is what has happened, and so far as the 
securing of observations and photographs goes the Expe- 
dition must be pronounced a success. 
With regard to the total result, however, no one is yet 
in a position to speak with certainty, for some of the 
photographs taken are not yet developed, and others, 
though developed, have not been submitted to any exami- 
nation. On this point, however, we need not lay any great 
stress, for such photographs, though invaluable as records, 
do not help yet so much as such pictures will certainly be 
- made to do hereafter in the matter of solar theory, for the 
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497 
reason that they are not large enough and not detailed 
enough. 
Has, then, solar theory been advanced by the eye obser- 
vations? From the sketch of the work done which 
appeared in yesterday’s 7%mes, from the pen of a Corre- 
spondent in Grenada, and which we reproduce, we think it 
has certainly. Prof. Tacchini’s observation that the 
prominences seen most prominently during the eclipse 
were not the prominences seen by the ordinary method, 
and that the latter only reveals part of a very complicated 
phenomenon, is valuable in itself, but taken in con- 
nection with the fact that the eclipse prominences and 
the parts of the prominences not seen by the ordinary 
method are probably downrushes, wholly or partially, it 
is difficult to overrate its importance. These eclipse 
prominences, which Prof. Tacchini calls “ white ” promin- 
ences, are high and filamentous, and that distinguished 
observer, we know, does not hesitate to express his belief 
that the “comet” seen in the eclipse of 1882 was really 
one of them. If this be so, then the meteoric downpours 
of consolidating and consolidated materials are already 
en évidence with a vengeance, and these are the parts of 
the solar economy we want most to lay hold of just 
now. 
That part of the Zzes Correspondent’s letter which 
refers to the results obtained runs as follows :— 
“The Green Island party was the only one doomed 
to disappointment. At Carriacou, Boulogne, Hog (or 
Fantome) Island, and Prickly Point the eclipse was seen 
and results secured, although at these places even it was 
touch and go, the sky being cloudy everywhere. Carriacou 
was most highly favoured. During the totality the sky 
was cloudless, though the sun was covered one minute 
after the rim re-appeared. At Fantéme Island the last 4o 
seconds, and at Prickly Point the first 50 seconds, were 
lost. At Boulogne the clouds were still more persistent, 
and cut off 70 seconds of the totality, although Mr. Turner 
secured some observations during the four minutes before 
and the five minutes after. The presence of cloud during 
totality is a more serious matter than it might appear at 
first sight, for not only is the time reduced during which 
precious facts may be recorded, but pre-arranged pro- 
grammes are interfered with, and it may be necessary to 
change them in order to meet the altered conditions. This 
requires a rapid and wise decision. 
“ Before I attempt to give any summary of the general 
results obtained, it may be remarked that the kinds of 
work attempted as a rule by eclipse expeditions are four 
in number, and are very distinct both in their methods 
and results from each other. We have first of all new 
facts, or new views of facts, which experience shows us are 
always obtained at such times, though they are not sought 
for as such. Next comes the testing of views which have 
been put forward to explain and harmonise the results 
previously obtained, and this part of the attack becomes 
very important when there are rival hypotheses in the 
field, the superiority of one of which can be established 
by a few critical observations. The third kind of work is 
the testing of the new methods of obtaining facts, the 
introduction of new instruments, or of new or improved 
ways of using old ones. Only in this way can a complete 
and perfect system of eclipse observation be built up. 
Finally we have the application of the ordinary methods 
of obtaining records, which for the most part are photo- 
graphic. Astronomers not only want to study the 
phenomena of each eclipse to get at the physical and 
chemical structure and nature of the sun’s atmosphere 
but they want to note the changes from eclipse to eclipse, 
in order to see which phenomena are liable to variation, 
and the extent and period of such variation if it exists. 
“Now in the eclipse observations secured in Grenada 
and Carriacou a distinct advance has been made alone 
all the four lines to which reference has been made. New 
