87 



to the feelings quite unpleasant. The thermometer was suspended 

 on the northwest side of a building, and sheltered from (he direct 

 influence of the strong northwest wind, which prevailed at the 

 time. It stood, a few minutes after the beginning of the eclipse 

 had been noted, at 38, shortly after the rupture of the ring at 30, 

 and after the end at 33^ degrees, and during the remainder of the 



The eclipse was annular at Georgetown, (Delaware,) but waa 

 not so at Milford in the same state. From the account given me 

 by an intelligent gentleman, residing at the latter place, who ob- 



j probably extended to a point not far ' 



The tinge of light before spoken of as immediately preceding 

 the formation of the ring, although frequently observed to occur in 

 cases of this kind, has, yet, it would seem, been far from uniform, 

 either in its extent or intensity. The same remark applies to 

 the very similar phenomenon which usually, if not uniformly, ac- 

 companies a total eclipse of the Sun ; but appears in that case 

 some short time before the termination of total darkness, when the 

 relative position of the western limbs of the Sun and Moon is 

 nearly the same as in the former case. The truth of these remarks 

 will plainly appear from the following instances : 



The annular eclipse of February 18th, 1737, O. S. was ob- 

 served at Edinburgh by Maclaurin and Short. In his account of 

 their observations, Mr. Maclaurin remarks : 



A little before the annulus was complete, a remarkable point 

 or speck of pale light appeared near the middle of the part of the 

 Moon's circumference that was not yet come upon the Sun's disk ; 

 and a gleam of light, more faint than this point, seemed to be ex- 

 tended from it to each horn. Mr. M. did not mark the precise 

 time when he first perceived this light, but is satisfied that it could 

 not be less than one-fourth of a minute before the annular appear- 

 ance began, Mr. Short, who was in another chamber at some 

 distance, and made use of a larger telescope, said that he saw it 

 20 seconds before the annulus was completed.'"* 



•Philosophical Transactions, (abridged) ^ 

 *ol. xl. p. 177, et feq. of the original work. 



