JANUARY 11, 1901.] 
anyone who has attempted to gain a natural 
conception of such forms from only alcoholic 
material. In the attic is a large pigeon 
house for breeding purposes. Glass bee- 
hives and ant nests are used for the study 
of community life. In fact, it is planned to 
have every order of animals represented by 
typical species in the aquaria and vivaria, 
so that the study of function may go hand 
in hand with the study of form. 
In the museum each order is represented 
by specimens in alcohol, skins, skeletons, a 
dissection accompanied by a water-color 
sketch, with all the parts plainly labeled 
and embryological models with explanatory 
charts, in order that the, visitor or student 
may learn as much as possible of the forms 
exhibited rather than become overwhelmed 
with the wealth of species. 
AN ARTIFICIAL REPRESENTATION OF A 
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE. 
In preparing for polarization experiments 
on the solar corona it is extremely desir- 
able to have an artificial corona as nearly 
as possible resembling the reality, for pre- 
liminary work. The only device of the 
kind that has been used to my knowledge 
is the arrangement described by Wright 
in his eclipse report, consisting of a card- 
board funnel, lined with black cloth, with a 
light at the back. This gives a ring-shaped 
illuminated area radially polarized. It is 
believed that the contrivance about to be 
described will be found far better adapted 
to work of this sort, for the artificial corona 
in this case resembles the real so closely as 
to startle one who has actually witnessed a 
total solar eclipse ; the polarization is radial, 
and is produced in the same way as in the 
sun’s surroundings, and the misty grada- 
tions of brillianey are present as well. So 
perfect was the representation that I added 
several features of purely esthetic nature, 
to heighten the effect, and finally succeeded 
in getting a reproduction of a solar eclipse 
SCLENCEK 65 
which could hardly be distinguished from 
the reality, except that the polar streamers 
are straight as drawn by Trouvelot, instead 
of being curved, as all the recent photo- 
graphs show them. The curious greenish- 
blue color of the sky and the peculiar pearly 
luster and misty appearance are faithfully 
reproduced. For lecture purposes an arti- 
ficial eclipse of this sort would be admir- 
ably adapted, and I know of no way in 
which an audience could be given so vivid 
an idea of the beauty of the phenomenon. 
Drawings and photographs are wholly in- 
adequate in giving any notion of the actual 
appearance of the sun’s surroundings, and 
I feel sure that any one will feel amply re- 
paid for the small amount of trouble neces- 
sary in fitting up the arrangement which I 
shall describe. 
A rectangular glass tank about a foot 
square on the front and five or six inches 
wide, and a six-candle-power incandescent 
lamp are all that are necessary. The di- 
mensions of the tank are not of much im- 
portance, a small aquarium being admirably 
adapted for the purpose. The tank should 
be nearly filled with clean 
water, and a spoonful or 
two (the right amount de- 
termined by experiment) 
of a weak alcoholic solu- 
tion of mastic should be 
added. The mastic is at 
once thrown down as an 
exceedingly fine precipi- 
tate, giving the water a 
milky appearance. The 
wires leading to the lamp 
should be passed through 
a short glass tube, and the 
lamp fastened to the end of 
the tube with sealing wax, 
taking care to make a tight joint, to prevent 
the water from entering the tube. (Fig. 1.) 
Five or six strips of tin foil are now fastened 
with shellac along the sides of the lamp, 
Fig. 1. 
