458 



NATURE 



THE SUN'S HAD/ANT HE A T 



"VHE readers of the Comples Rcmius are aware that Pere 

 •'• Secchi addressed a letter to the Academy of Sciences at 

 Paris, some time ago (Comp. Rend, tome Ixxiv. pp. 26-30), 



\pct. 3, 1872 



containing a review of my communications to Nature, pub- 

 lished July 13, October 5, and November 16, 1S71, in which he 

 questions the correctness of the reports which I have published 

 containing tabulated statements of the temperature produced by 

 solar radiation. His reason for questioning the reliability of my 



tables, appears to lest on the supposition that my instruments do 

 not furnish connect mdications. "It is astonishing," he says, 

 "that Mr. Ericsson should find with his instrument a hii^her 

 stationary temperature in winter than in summer. This (eren 



bearing in mind the greater pro.ximity of the sun in winter) makes 

 me think that tliere must be sometliing very singular in his appa- 

 ratus, possibly making all its indications deceptive. Even under 

 the beautiful sky of Madrid, M. Rico y Sinobas found, in 



