Postscript. 



Postscript. — "inhn- iy:^,.f D-.Jr ,■ 'l-l...i. 

 Through the kindness ol Vnn.-l. i.. i ln..;A!:i.. A^sisi-ut in Charge, 



the observations on the Eclipse n\;ule in Sirily. Otiiir cxtnui^ 

 follow from letters published in ilic Xi'w \'(>ik (l;.ily j>;i})iis. 

 From letter of (jr&neYi\\ E. Annoi- fn I'rnf. J. /•;. 'll!hj<ir<i^ </it>'i 



ing. In Sicily we had hard luck, but got ?;onic good obMTv.itioiis, 

 notwithstanding. The expedition was divided into tivc i.;utic>. 

 At Catania were the photographers, with .Mr. t^cliott and I'rof. 

 Lane. Clouds prevented observations of tlic corona. At a villa in 

 the environs of the town, were Prof. P. and hi.^ nvo sons and .Mrs. 

 P. ; they had good luck, the clouds openiiig ju^-t so that tlu y could 

 observe the corona. They got good sketclu s ami gooil pularis>o]ic 

 observations. At Mo?ite liossi (3000 fed altiuid.) I rof. l\i. rs 

 failed from clouds. At Carlentiui (on contact iin.' .M)uih ol Tata- 

 nia). Prof. Watson got very valuable obser\ atiotiti on the coiona. 

 On Etna (8400 feet altitude) Gen. Abbot failed trom clouds. So 

 two-fifths of our party succeeded, and in combination with similar 

 partial observations of the English, «fec. parties, we have settled 

 that the corona is, in part at least, solar. The light is strongly 

 polarized in radial planes. The spectroscope tidied except a partial 

 observation by the English, which goes to confirm last year's oi) 

 servations in America. 



From a letter from Prof. Vmncv., dated at Cata>n'i. ]k'\ ±1 . 

 1870, andpuhUshed in the Boston Advertiser.— Ildj-p"sf j<mr — 

 Well, the eclipse is over, and, wonderful to relate, all the success 

 seems to have been reserved for our party. Mr. has got admi- 

 rable results with his polariscope; and have ma<le valu- 

 able sketches of the corona, and all the large party asseiiibjed at 

 the villa were delighted with the whole phenomenon, to winch t h e 

 epithet of magnifique was applied on all sides. And you would 

 like to know how it was that there was so great success with u^, 

 and not with the others. Well, it was thus : early m the morn- 

 ing all was bright and fair, but as the day advanced clouds began 

 to appear, which increased greatly with the cold, arismg from tlie 

 diminished action of the sun upon the earth. These clouds kept 

 growing with a rising wind till nearly at the middle of the eclipse, 

 the sun was hidden behind a thick, black screen, and all hopes ot 

 further view of it deserted us. But just previously to the instant 

 of total obscuration there was a break in the clouds, which was 

 the more remarkable because it was rainmg and hadmg at the 

 time. This break did not extend a thousand feet from the place 

 where we observed. But it gave us a superb view ot the corona 

 and the whole totality, and enabled us to establish \ery itnportant 

 conclusions. It must be said, however, that there was just enough 

 haze to deprive us of what I am disposed to call the false corona, 

 and which I consider to be a part of our own atmosphere. But 

 the true solar corona is clearly proved to be a solar atmosphere ex- 

 tending about eight feighty?] thousand miles above the ordmarily 

 visible surface of' the^un. There were three different sources of 

 proof ot this conclusion. The work is done successfully. 



Ohservations by Prof. Hark^xess and others, {^.\. lime^ Jan. 

 24.)-Prof. Harkness, who was in Sicily, and Mr. Burton, at Agosta. 



