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the spectrum of burning hydrogen gas. The, existence of this gas in meteors, 
as shown by the spectroscope, had been confirmed by an examination of 
some of the Lenarto meteorite, by Professor Graham, who had shown that 
free hydrogen gas had been absorbed by the substance of the stone itself. 
For a considerable period two rival theories had existed as to the cause of 
the sun spots namely, that of M. Faye — tbat they were produced by an 
up -rush into the photosphere of a superheated and therefore less brilliant 
atmosphere, existing between the mass of the sun and its photosphere, and 
secondly, that known as Wilson's (first propounded one hundred and fifty 
years ago, and since confirmed by De La Rue and others), according to 
which, the photosphere was surrrounded on the outside by an absorbent 
atmosphere, which rushed down into the photosphere, cooling it, and making 
it less brilliant in spots. In 1866, Mr. Norman Lockyer, F.R.A.S., had 
settled the question completely, by means of the spectroscope, in favour of 
Wilson's theory, and he, at that time, suggested that the same beautiful 
method might solve the problem of the constitution of the red flames or 
protuberances, generally seen at total eclipses of the sun. Several 
expeditions were prepared and sent out by various governments, to observe 
the phenomena accompanying the eclipse of August the 18th, 1868. 
M Jannsen, who represented the French Academy of Sciences, was 
stationed at Guntoor, two hundred miles north of Madras, to observe 
specially the spectra of these protuberances. He, and others, unanimously 
agreed in referring them to the second groat class of spectra, thus showing 
that the red flames were gaseous in their origin. During the eclipse the 
idea occured to M. Jannsen, that it might be possible, by artificially 
obscuring the light from the sun itself, to see the spectrum of the pro- 
tuberances at other times than during an eclipse ; he succeeded in carrying 
out this idea, and worked at it for seventeen days. Before the news of 
these results reached Europe, Mr. Norman Lockyer had obtained a new 
spectroscope (at the expense of the government grant of the Royal Society), 
and on October the 20th, 1868, carried into effect the idea that had occurred 
to him two years previously, and obtained a distinct view of the spectrum 
of a protuberance, without being able to see the protuberance itself. 
By a singular coincidence, the results of the independent discoveries of 
M. Jannsen and Mr. Norman Lockyer, were communicated to the President 
of the French Academy of Sciences almost simultaneously, and, very 
nobly, the honour of priority of idea, was fully granted to the English 
Astronomer, by M. Faye. 
The speaker stated that Mr. Lockyer had shown that these protuberances 
were simply local* accumulations of [a gaseous envelope which everywhere 
