﻿1875.] 
  

  

  Transit 
  of 
  Venus 
  across 
  the 
  Sun. 
  

  

  383 
  

  

  tact 
  ceased, 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  oval 
  seemed 
  as 
  it 
  were 
  adhering 
  to 
  the 
  sun's 
  

   edge, 
  and 
  could 
  not 
  get 
  free, 
  rendering 
  it 
  difficult 
  to 
  decide 
  when 
  the 
  con- 
  

   tact 
  ceased. 
  Another 
  impediment 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  accurate 
  timing 
  was, 
  that 
  

   the 
  outline 
  of 
  Yenus 
  looked 
  woolly 
  and 
  wave-like, 
  from 
  a 
  very 
  annoying 
  

   tremor 
  in 
  the 
  air. 
  Hence 
  the 
  notes 
  we 
  entered 
  were, 
  ' 
  Internal 
  contact 
  

   ceased 
  7 
  h 
  41 
  m 
  20 
  s 
  , 
  quite 
  clear 
  7 
  h 
  42 
  m 
  .' 
  As 
  to 
  the 
  ligament 
  which 
  seemed 
  

   to 
  knit 
  the 
  two 
  edges 
  together, 
  I 
  am 
  disposed 
  to 
  attribute 
  it 
  solely 
  to 
  the 
  

   billowy 
  motion 
  of 
  the 
  planet's 
  outline 
  ; 
  for 
  it 
  had 
  a 
  hairy 
  appearance, 
  and 
  

   sunlight 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  through 
  it. 
  

  

  " 
  In 
  timing 
  the 
  remaining 
  contacts 
  there 
  was 
  no 
  difficulty, 
  for 
  as 
  the 
  

   sun 
  arose 
  Yenus 
  appeared 
  to 
  diminish 
  in 
  size, 
  her 
  outline 
  becoming 
  

   sharply 
  denned. 
  

  

  " 
  At 
  egress 
  the 
  oval 
  shape 
  did 
  not 
  reappear 
  ; 
  but 
  just 
  at 
  the 
  moment 
  

   of 
  internal 
  contact 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  nickering 
  movement, 
  as 
  if 
  the 
  

   planet's 
  edge 
  had 
  touched, 
  withdrawn, 
  and 
  touched 
  again. 
  This 
  was 
  

   at 
  ll 
  h 
  30 
  m 
  15 
  s 
  . 
  At 
  ll 
  h 
  33 
  m 
  27 
  s 
  , 
  when 
  nearly 
  one 
  eighth 
  of 
  her 
  orb 
  had 
  

   crossed 
  the 
  border, 
  its 
  outline 
  was 
  for 
  a 
  brief 
  while 
  fringed 
  with 
  an 
  

   edging 
  of 
  light. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  nickering 
  movement 
  just 
  mentioned, 
  evidently 
  an 
  ocular 
  illusion, 
  

   induced 
  by 
  the 
  eye's 
  weariness 
  from 
  intent 
  gazing, 
  was 
  again 
  noticed 
  at 
  

   ll 
  h 
  57 
  m 
  25 
  s 
  , 
  when 
  the 
  external 
  contact 
  ceased." 
  

  

  Writing 
  again 
  on 
  15th 
  December, 
  

   1874, 
  Mr. 
  James 
  enclosed 
  the 
  sketch 
  

   given 
  in 
  margin, 
  remarking 
  in 
  his 
  letter, 
  

   " 
  Whatlmeant 
  to 
  express 
  by 
  'ligament,' 
  

   was 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  connexion 
  formed 
  by 
  

   the 
  boundary 
  line 
  itself, 
  which 
  appeared 
  

   adhesive 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  hairy. 
  

   The 
  dots 
  I 
  have 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  are 
  

   within 
  the 
  line. 
  I 
  saw 
  no 
  ' 
  black 
  drop,' 
  if 
  

   by 
  that 
  is 
  intended 
  any 
  thing 
  beyond 
  and 
  

   attached 
  to 
  the 
  boundary 
  line 
  of 
  Yenus. 
  

   I 
  should 
  therefore 
  have 
  expressed 
  

   myself 
  more 
  accurately 
  if, 
  instead 
  of 
  

   'ligament,' 
  I 
  had 
  written 
  'the 
  point 
  

   of 
  apparent 
  adhesion 
  looked 
  hairy.' 
  " 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  both 
  Mr. 
  James 
  

   and 
  I 
  observed 
  an 
  edging 
  of 
  light 
  

   around 
  the 
  dark 
  limb 
  of 
  Yenus, 
  and 
  

   that 
  we 
  agree 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  quite 
  distinct 
  

   at 
  ingress 
  aud 
  less 
  plain 
  at 
  egress. 
  I 
  

   saw 
  this 
  edging 
  decidedly 
  as 
  an 
  an- 
  As 
  Venus 
  appeared 
  at 
  7 
  h 
  41 
  m 
  20 
  s 
  , 
  as 
  

   nidus, 
  and, 
  as 
  stated 
  in 
  Note 
  INo. 
  I. 
  tlie 
  int 
  ? 
  ma 
  l 
  contact 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  act 
  

   it 
  was 
  continued 
  round 
  the 
  bright 
  ° 
  ceasmg 
  * 
  

   limb. 
  The 
  complete 
  ring 
  thus 
  presented 
  to 
  view 
  was 
  plainly 
  a 
  visible 
  

  

  