GENERAL MEETING. fu § 
investigations of Huggins and Lockyer and other spectroscop- 
ists have revealed to us the presence of several of our so-called 
elements in the solar atmosphere; but constant observation has 
raised in the minds of these observers grave doubts whether the 
spectral lines of the elements, as obtained by observation of them 
in our atmosphere, are universally of such or whether only con- 
ditionally so, that is true only in our cold atmosphere. Doubts 
have arisen as to the spectral lines of elements being permanent 
characters of their essential nature, seeing that the spectral lines 
of an element, which at one time resemble those of copper, are 
found to be interchangeable and attached to a different element, as 
calcium, and that there are elements which possess the character of 
giving multiple spectra, as carbon, for example, which, under these 
solar temperatures, yields no less than three distinct and charac- 
teristic spectra. 
In view of these apparently contradictory and confusing results, 
obtained by the examination of matter found in the solar atmos- 
phere, which are so different from those obtained from matter in 
our own atmosphere, it behooves us to be very cautious in asserting 
the existence of any distinct elements so called, or whether there be 
only one matter under various cosmical conditions. 
Other remarks were made by Messrs. DooLiTrLE and WHITE. 
Mr. H. A. Hazen made a communication on 
THE SUN-—GLOWS, 
opposing the theory that they are due to dust, either cosmic or vol- 
canic, and advocating a theory involving electrical action in con- 
nection with frost particles.* 
A general discussion followed, in which Messrs. ELurorr, PAvut, 
Rosinson, Hauy, Durron, GILBert, and E. Farquyar, partici- 
pated. 
Mr. Exxiorr advocated the electrical origin of the glows, basing 
his argument on the simultaneousness of the phenomena through- 
out the planet, on the transparency of the glow as shown by obser- 
vations on Lyre, and on the extraordinary abundance of sun 
spots for the past few weeks. 
* This paper is published in full in the American Journal of Science for 
March, 1884; Vol. XX VII, pp. 201-212. 
c 
