« 
AMERICAN 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND ARTS, 
[THIRD SERIES] 
Art. XIII.—On the Minute Structure of the Solar Photosphere ; 
by S. P. Lanetey. 
Tt will be within the memory of all concerned in such studies, 
that when, in 1861, Mr. Nasmyth announced the discovery of 
what he called the “ willow-leaf” structure of the solar surface, 
its existence, concerning which the most contradictory opinions 
were emitted. It was pointed out that Mr. Nasmyth’s estimate 
the si ae was inconsistent with.the difficulty 
which was found in seeing them. Mr. Dawes, than whom no 
one stood higher as an observer, denied their existence. Father 
Secchi doubted the accuracy of the description, while asserting 
that he had seen multitudes of small discrete bodies of much 
less size than the so-called willow leaves. Mr. Stone and Mr. 
Donkin found the minute components of the photosphere to 
resemble rice-grains, and so on with others. As each observer 
maintained a diferent opinion, in spite of the interest of the 
‘scussion, no conclusive result was reached ; for it was a peculiar 
feature of this remarkable controversy that it did not arise con- 
cerning an interpretation of fact, but as to the reality of the fact 
itself, concerning which, with the best instruments in practised 
hands, it seemed difficult to find any two observers to The 
State of our present kn@wledge on the point can hardly be con- 
sidered satisfactory, for no telescopic observations of 
value have been since added of which I am aware, with the 
Am. Jour. Sct.—Turep —— Vor. VII, No. 38 —Fes., 1874. 
