to 
to 
Ny 
about half-way between it and that given by the 
“American Ephemeris.”” This was confirmed by 
observations made from a dirigible, and a captive, 
balloon, by MM. Fournier and Bourgeois near St. 
Nom-de-Bretéche, where the respective observers 
quite independently registered the passing of the 
shadow at the same moment. 
M. Giacobini saw Baily’s beads form a chaplet of 
brilliant points, three or four seconds after maximum 
phase, which rotated about the lunar circle 180° in 
eight or ten seconds. 
Many bright chromospheric arcs are shown on M, 
Millochau’s plates, taken with the large spectroscope 
at the Paris Observatory, but the attempt to photo- 
graph the green coronal radiation was not successful. 
At his station near St. Nom-de-Bretéche, M. 
Puiseux saw the bright annulus complete, except for | 
the breaks caused by lunar mountains, for about two 
seconds, and estimates that he was but slightly north 
of the true central line. 
MM. Esclangon and Stephan, at the Chateau de 
Talmont (Vendée), recorded that the eclipse was 
neither total nor annular; Baily’s beads appeared 
almost instantaneously. They, also, conclude that 
they were very slightly north of the true central line, 
and to an observer 4 km. further north the eclipse was 
palpably not central. 
Interesting observations were made at the Lyons 
Observatory, where some 6000  kinematograph 
pictures were made of a screen on which the images 
of the sun and moon were projected, and on which a 
carefully rated watch was also hung. On an aver- 
age, ten photographs were taken per second, and it 
is hoped to derive very exact times for the contacts 
from the results. 
Encouraged by the fact that at Vavau last year he 
was able to see, faintly, the green coronal line two 
minutes after totality, M. Stéfanik prepared to 
photograph the corona at Cormeilles-en-Parisis, using 
Wratten green-sensitive plates and suitable screens. 
But only the inner corona, as a very thin ring, is 
shown on his plate, and is easily distinguishable 
from the halation effect. 
Prof. Ifiguez, at Madrid, found his observations 
seriously hampered by clouds, but succeeded in see- 
ing, as very intense and long lines, the bright 
chromospheric radiations of H, Na, He, and Mg. 
Although the magnitude of the eclipse was only o-9, 
he was able to observe the bright lines for some thirty 
minutes. 
M. Eginitis, at Athens, observed the times of the 
contacts, and compares them with the predicted times 
as follows :— 
Calculated from the data of the 
Observed Conn. des Temps Nautical Almanac 
lot pt, & ean ts. I jb Ge 
First contact ... 0 54 17 0 54 336 0 54 45'0 
Last ,, eT aEZONZs, BONS Sid une SE ZOnaEO 
As in 1905, the observed are seen to be in advance 
of the calculated times. 
An important series of observations was made by 
L’Ecole Polytechnique at the suggestion of M. 
Hamy, and under the supervision of M. E. Carvallo. 
Equipped with field-glasses (x8), the students were 
echeloned in twos across the eclipse track along a line 
12 km. long on the route between Trappes and 
Neauphle; successive pairs were separated by a 
distance of 1 hectometre, the idea being to locate 
exactly the central line and to compare the relative 
sizes of the lunar and solar discs. At the extremities 
and at the middle of the echelon photographic and 
kinematographic, observations were made. The 
results show that the central line was_ situated 
35:5 km. along Route No. 12 from Paris to Brest, and 
NO. 2218, VOL. 89| 
WATURE 
[May 2, Toile 
lay between the lines predicted by the **Connaissance 
des Temps’ and the *‘ American Ephemeris,” 500 m. 
from the former and 2400 m. from the latter. They 
also showed that the minimum diameter of the moon 
—between the valleys—was about 1-2” less than that 
of the sun, while the maximum diameter—including 
lunar peaks—was about o:8” greater. if 
[In the article on the eclipse of the sun, in Nature 
of April 25, for ‘“‘disc’’ in line 23 of column 1 on 
p- 193 the author should have written ‘limb,’’ and 
for 12h. 6m. 18s on the next line he should have 
given th. 31m.]| 
COLONIAL SURVEYS. 
ps8 report of the Surveyor-General of New 
Zealand for the year ending March 31, 
Igtt, has recently been published, and shows both 
a larger outturn and a decreased cost under most 
headings. Topographical survey shows the largest 
output of more than two and a quarter million 
acres, while nearly half a million acres were 
covered by the triangulation. The previous report 
referred to the urgent need for an effective major 
triangulation as a control for the very extensive 
network of minor triangles, and the present report 
shows work on triangulation of the second order 
as being done in the Wellington district, but 
apparently not elsewhere, except a new base-line in 
Taranaki district. 
This base-line was almost ten miles long, and 
formed one of the sides of a polygon of the major 
triangulation. It was measured twice with each 
of two standard 1oo-link steel tapes belonging to 
the survey, thus giving four values for the length. 
The tape was supported and strained to a tension 
of 25 lb. in the same manner as a previously 
measured base which was described in the report 
of last year, and satisfactory results were ob- 
tained; the mean values of the two measurements 
with each of the two tapes differ only by 00445 
link on a length of 79,605 links, and the probable 
error derived from the measurement of the sections 
of the base is given as being 1 in 5,142,370; the 
probable error of the base when temperature, 
standardisation, and such other sources of error 
are taken into account is not given. Three months 
were occupied in preparing the line, and forty-five 
days were occupied in the measurement which gave 
such good results. At the present time, when base 
measurement has been so much simplified and 
cheapened by the use of wires, this base seems 
long, and the time it required was considerable, 
but no doubt local reasons were against the use 
of a shorter base and a base extension network 
of triangles. Surveyors will regret the absence of 
technical details in this report, for they would be 
most interesting and instructive. The accuracy 
of the triangulation, the density of the points, and 
the rate of its execution in different districts could 
be easily included, and would give a far clearer 
idea of the work described, and the same may be 
1 Report on the Survey Operations for the year roro-11. New Zealand 
Department of Lands. By J. Strauchon, Surveyor-General. (Wellington, 
OE Fonial Report No. 685. Annual. The Surveys of British Africa, 
Ceylon, Cyprus, Fiji, Jamaica, Trinidad, and British Honduras for the year 
1909-10. Price 1s. 6d. 
re 
