Observed in the late Transit of Venus. 63 



stretching out from the surface of the sun. At the phase 

 marked ' estimated tangential ' Yenus appeared to be 

 attached to the sun by a very broad ligament nearly as 

 black as the planet itself, and the position of the planet was 

 such that if the dark face had been quite circular it would 

 have formed a tangent to the sun's limb. At the phase 

 marked ' Chinaman's cap ' the ligament narrowed very much 

 on the side of Venus, the broad part being still attached to 

 the sun's limb. At the phase marked ' bright streak of 

 light ' a bright arc of light appeared between the broad part 

 of the ' cap ' and the sun's limb. The sun was now clouded 

 for about a quarter of a minute, and when the cloud had 

 opened the ' cap ' had disappeared, and Yenus had become 

 truly circular, and was well separated from the limb of 

 the sun." 



At Mornington the late Professor Wilson noted a fluffy 

 connection, which is undoubtedly the same phase I noted 

 as smoky connection. 



At egress the atmosphere was more disturbed in 

 Melbourne, and the phenomena about internal contact were 

 more marked and troublesome. First, a haze or smoky 

 appearance between limbs of sun and planet was noted, 

 then a distinct darker thread in centre of haze, then a 

 tremulous or nickering junction of limbs, and finally a 

 distinct and final junction. The sun's edge was very 

 tremulous, but the sky quite clear. 



Professor Wilson stated of this phase that " the sun's 

 edge was boiling. Yenus did not look round, but as you 

 might imagine a spherical balloon not quite blown up ; the 

 edge looked crumpled. A small dark object was seen 

 nickering backwards and forwards between Yenus and edge 

 of sun ; this increased, and there was no other phase to 

 which I could attach a definite time." 



At Sandhurst, the appearances of internal contact at 

 egress were noted by Mr. Moerlin, observing with a six and 

 a-half inch refractor. (Cloudy weather prevented observa- 

 tion of ingress observations.) " As the planet moved 

 gradually near the sun's limb, the sun's limb and planet 

 appeared sharp and well defined, and the streak of light 

 between the two was distinct and unmistakable. As it 

 came nearer and nearer, the same appearance was witnessed 

 without any change whatever, the streak of light between 

 the two became smaller, and all at once a sort of triangular- 

 shaped connection between the two took place, an appear- 



