Dr. Halley, in his " Observations on the total ecHpse of the 

 sun of April 22d, 1715," O. S., after describing an appearance 

 similar to that last mentioned, thus continues : 



"During the whole of the time of the total eclipse, I kept my 

 telescope constantly fixed on the moon, to observe what might oc- 

 cur in this uncommon appearance ; and I found that there were 

 perpetual flashes or coruscations of light, which seemed, for a 

 moment, to dart out from behind the moon, on all sides, but more 

 especially on the western side, a little before the emersion : and 

 about two or three seconds before it, on the same western side, where 

 the sun was just coming out, a long and very narrow streak, of a 

 dusky, but strong red light, seemed to colour the dark edge of ihi 

 moon ; though nothing like it had been seen immediately afttr the 

 immersion. But this instantly vanished, on the first appearance of 

 the sun, as did also the aforesaid luminous ring. "* 



The eclipse of June 24th, 1778, was observed at sea by the 

 Spanish admiral, Don Antonio Ulloa. Among other peculiarly in- 

 teresting phenomena, he noted the following : 



" Five or six seconds after the immersion, he began to observe 

 round the moon a very brilliant circle of light, which seemed to have 

 a rapid circular motion, something similar to that of a rocket turning 

 about its centre. This light became livelier and more dazzling in 

 proportion as the centre of the moon approached that of the sun; 

 and about the middle of the eclipse it was of the breadth of about 

 a sixth of the moon's diameter. Out of this luminous circle there 

 issued forth rays of light, that reached to the distance of a diame- 

 ter of the moon, sometimes more, sometimes less, which made 

 him think that they were parts of a weaker light, reflected in an 

 atmosphere more subtle than that in which the ring was formed. 

 When the centres of the two planets began to separate, the dimia^ 

 Hon began, and took place gradually, in the same order which had 

 been observed at its beginning, and during the progress of it- /< 

 disappeared entirely four or Jive seconds before the emersion." 



This light, as appears from a subsequent part of the same ac- 

 count, exhibited some variety of colour, and " was uniformly bril- 

 liant throughout." It is also stated, that 



"For four or five seconds before the appearance of the shining 

 ring, and during as many after it disappeared, they could see stars 



losophical Transactions, (abridged, 

 . 245 et. leq, of the original work. 



