NATURE 



[May 1 8, 1882 



well appreciated by men of science. I!e ha; brought 

 out a small equatorial telescope with spectroscope 

 attached, and it is believed, intends to devote himself 



exclusively to spectroscopic work during the eclipse. 

 He joins the eclipse boat a few days Jater on. 



The French party consists of MM. Thollon, Trdpied 



Director of the Observatory at Algiers, and M. Buisseux ; 

 above mentioned, they are already at their station; 

 their work will be chiefly spectroscopic. 



The Egyptian Government has deputed Moukhtar Bey, 



Colonel on the Staff, to assist the English party at the 

 place of observation. J.Norman Lockver 



Cairo, May 5 



{To be continued.} 



T 



THE TOTAL ECLIPSE 

 HE following telegram in the Times of to-day from 

 its .Special Correspondent with the English expedi- 

 tion to Egypt, gives the following results of the observa- 

 tions of the total solar eclipse of yesterday : — 



So/iaj;, May 17 

 The total eclipse of the sun was m 1 essfully observed 

 here to-day by the English, French, and Italian astro- 

 nomers. 



A fine comet was discovered close to the sun, its 

 position being determined by photographs. 



The spectroscopic and e\e- observations just before and 

 during the period of totality gave most valuable results, 

 the darkening of the lines observed by the French astro- 

 nomers indicating a lunar atmosphere. 



A series of good photographs of the corona was ob- 

 tained, and the spectrum of the corona for the first time 

 was successfully photographed. 



The astronomers will probably leave on Saturday on 

 board the Government steamer. 



THE THEORY OF DESCENT 

 S Indies in the Theory of Descent. By Dr. Aug. Weis- 

 mann. Translated and Edited by Raphael Meldola, 

 F.C.S. Part III. The Transformation of the Mexican 

 Axolotl into Amblystoma ; On the Mechanical Concep- 

 tion of Nature. (London : Sampson Low, Marston, 

 Searle, and Rivington, 1882.) 

 "J" HE present issue completes the excellent translation 

 -*• of Dr. Weismann's valuable and suggestive work. 

 The first two essays of which it consists is devoted to a 



