632 
NAT ORE 
[ Oct. 29, 1885 
position and length of the main rays, that it fully confirms 
the general impression left on my mind as to the fixity of 
this phenomenon. 
I was just engaged in making a last estimate of the 
extent of the corona between 35° and go”, when a cry 
arose from the bystanders, “ Look at the red flame shoot- 
ing out to the left!” I withstood the temptation, and 
observed the almost sudden disappearance of the corona 
on the reappearance of the sun. All I can therefore say 
of the red protuberance which attracted so much notice is 
that the emergence of the sun is blended in my mind 
with a vague and fleeting impression of a narrow streak 
of red light with a broad streak of white light outside it, 
between 200° and 290°, and almost symmetrically divided 
by the position of the dark rift in the corona. 
An acquaintance who noticed the rift in the corona told 
me that the red flame shot out close to it. He described 
the shape of the flame as ragged; other intelligent ob- 
servers compared it to a sugar/oaf; the most intelligent 
a 
=<0° 
Corona as observed during solareclipse of September 9, 1885, as seen from 
Tahoraite, North Island, New Zealand, about 4o miles north of centre 
line of totality :—A, 300°; longest ray, 2-3 diams. B, first contact about 
285° (vague). C, Sun apparently reappears about 260° (vague). D, 
250°; dark rift in corona. E, approximate position of large red protuber- 
ance which shot out just before close of totality. F, corona, } diam., 
rather ragged. G, corona, }diam., regular. H, large sun-spot with 
faculz close to the limb at timeof first contact. I, 80°; 3rd longest 
ray, 14} diam. J, between these two long rays corona extends nearly } 
diam., with some longer rays. K, longest ray, 1} diam. L, corona, 
hardly diam. M, 2nd longest ray, 13-2 diams. N, between longest 
rays corona extends j to 1 diam. ; 2 long rays 14 diam. (N.B.—Corona 
alone was observed : relative position and lengths of rays reliable ; abso- 
lute lengths to be taken with caution. 
of those I heard, to a drop of water hanging from an 
object. Other observers, again, stationed two miles off, 
saw, 2ot a red but a brilliant w/z¢te flame shoot out. 
I leave these discordant statements and comparisons 
to be reconciled by other men. 
During totality there was a considerable amount of 
diffused light around the sun. I am unable to state its 
extent or colour from personal estimate. Some of the 
bystanders called the colour pearl-grey ; others, reddish ; 
others, again, pale blue and white. 
The colour of the corona itself seemed to me very pale 
bluish green. 
The sketch I send you should explain itself. I will 
only mention that the angles are, of course, only esti- 
mated, the zero direction being the upper end of the 
vertical through the centre of disk. 
The rift in the corona was very marked, and extended 
tight down to the disk; it was very near to by far the 
longest of the rays. In conclusion there is nothing that 
the coronal rays remind me of so much as an auroral 
display. N. A. GRAYDON 
Hastings, Hawkesbay, N.Z., September 11 
Mr. Henry Bedford, of All Hallow’s College, Dublin, 
sends us a copy of the Warlborough Express, New Zealand, 
of Wednesday, September 9, 1885, giving an account of 
the eclipse as observed at Blenheim and other places in 
New Zealand. 
The eclipse at Blenheim began at 6.30 a.m., and totality 
occurred at 7.25. 
“The totality—if totality it was—could have lasted but 
a bare moment : for, to the untrained observer, it seemed 
that a patch of bright sunlight on the upper edge of it 
was never absent. It must, however, be remembered 
that Blenheim is on the very outer edge of the belt, and 
that the apparent duration of totality was so extremely 
short that, by an optical illusion, it might seem that sun- 
light was never totally obscured. The corona and sun’s 
flames were plainly visible, and formed a spectacle which 
no mechanical contrivance can imitate, and no art can 
reproduce. Several stars in different quarters of the 
heavens—and particularly one about four sun’s diameters 
below the eclipse—were seen, and the general appear- 
ance of the sky and of the shadows on the hill sides and 
in the water was that of early dawn. The eclipse was 
certainly a wonderful phenomenon, and almost as inter- 
esting to the non-scientific observeras to the man of science 
who viewed it in his observatory. 
““ Observations of the eclipse were taken in the cricket 
ground at Blenheim by Mr. Dobson, C.E., and ten in- 
stantaneous photographs were secured by Mr. W. H. 
Macey, the two gentlemen acting in conjunction. Mr. 
Dobson’s observations were made by the telescope and 
theodolite, the powerful telescope belonging to Mr. 
Cullen of Mahikipawa having been erected in the cricket 
ground for the purpose.” 
At Wellington, by the time the total phase was reached 
the sun was sufficiently clear of clouds to give an uninter- 
rupted view. As totality was reached the scene was most 
impressive, and as the darkness increased the western 
heavens became illuminated with a deep orange colour, 
shading off into the most delicate of yellows. A number 
of stars were plainly seen during the darkness. After 
about a minute and a half the sun again shone out, and 
gradually increased. Pigeons and birds began to fly 
about in a helpless fashion, and sought their roosts. 
Dr. Hector reports: —‘ Heavy southerly squalls, with 
hail, spoiled the observations. We were at Dryertown, 
on the centre of the line, but got only partial glimpses. 
A pink patch surrounded the sun, and extended 15° from 
it, probably due to the same dust film in a high atmo- 
sphere that caused the sun-glows last year.” 
At Mastertton a heavy south-west gale with rain set in 
on the 8th, and the morning broke without any signs of 
clearing. Messrs. M‘Kerrow and party, who had camped 
at the foot of Otahuao, proceeded to the top and fixed 
their instruments amid driving snowand hail. Just before 
totality the sky cleared, and all the phenomena were fairly 
visible. One photograph was taken before totality, three 
during, and one after. The corona was visible for fully a 
minute, encircling a ring of light radiating to a distance of 
about half a diameter of the sun. It was of a pale white 
colour, like the electric light ; of uniform width, except at 
the sun’s equator, where it slightly protruded, and was 
evidently of greater extent. 
We have just received, by the dilatory method of a letter 
by post, an account of the preparations making and made 
for the due observation of the Total Solar Eclipse in 
September, up to within a fortnight of the event coming 
off; but no more. Our informant, the Venerable the 
Archdeacon Stock, of Wellington, New Zealand, was 
momentarily expecting two large auxiliary expeditions, 
