for the year 1868. 15 



been seen by man, and none of such magnitude is likely 

 ever to be witnessed by any now living. But there 

 are, however, higher objects than this in view, and 

 great preparations are being made to carry out investi- 

 gations concerning the sun's atmosphere, which can only be 

 attempted during total eclipses, and for which this one offers 

 so long a period of totality. It has long been supposed that 

 an atmosphere surrounds the sun's exterior to the photo- 

 sphere. Those remarkable red clouds or prominences and the 

 corona or glory with its projections, generally seen in total 

 eclipses, and especially in that of 1860, all point to this. 

 These luminous clouds were found by Mr. Dela Rue to have 

 great photographic power, and Mr. Brayley concludes there- 

 from that they probably consist of incandescent globules of 

 metal in a liquid state, or perhaps of solid particles of the 

 metals discovered in the sun by Kirchoff. The optical 

 means of analysing the light from various sources have 

 been so much improved since the last total eclipse witnessed 

 by astronomers in 1860, and our increased knowledge of the 

 physical conditions of the sun, as well as of many other of 

 the heavenly bodies, induces the scientific world to confi- 

 dently hope that the telescope, spectroscope, and heliograph 

 will reap rich harvests in the hands of the many expe- 

 rienced observers who will be engaged in the path of 

 totality. 



The Botanical department, so efficiently conducted by your 

 fellow member, Dr. F. Mueller, has not been idle. The 

 " Fragmenta Phytographa Australis," I am informed, will 

 have reached the completion of the sixth volume next month. 

 Dr. Bentham's new work on the Australian Flora (to which 

 Dr. Mueller contributes largely) is progressing rapidly; the 

 fourth volume containing the Candollian division — Corolli- 

 flora — is nearly complete ; the fifth volume, which it is 

 expected will be issued next year, will contain the Mono- 



