THE PLANET JUPITER IN 1869-70. 
131 
'beautiful scene, very imperfectly depicted in fig. 2.* The 
southern portion of the equatorial zone was now so progressively 
toned down into shadow from the north as to give the impres- 
sion of a hollow lighted obliquely in the contrary direction : 
the yellow spaces enclosed by elliptical arches above, and simi- 
larly shaped festoons below, being most luminous in their upper 
part, and being shaded off into the festoons beneath, received 
the opposite effect of actual convexity. The illusion was re- 
markable : solid ellipsoids seemed to stand out of, or be freely 
suspended in, a depressed channel ; or it might be compared to 
a modification of the moulding known as <c bead and hollow ” 
in architecture — a broad concavity placed horizontally, studded 
along its upper half with longitudinal bosses almost like the 
backs of spoons, and illuminated with an oblique soft half- 
light. So singular was the deception, that it required an effort 
of the judgment to rectify the mistaken conviction of the sight : 
once impressed on the eye, it frequently returned on other 
nights, though never in the perfection of this display. The 
ovals were generally not very unequal in dimensions ; though 
one would occasionally be brighter and better marked than the 
rest ; in this instance a very minute one occupied part of a wide 
grey space. The following night, Nov. 18, when five rotations 
of the planet, except one hour, had been accomplished since 
the display of Nov. 16, the bridge had been replaced by the 
hollow moulding; four ovals were distinctly seen, though in 
inferior air ; and there was a wide interstice a little east of the 
centre, in which no smaller yellow cloud was present, or the 
resemblance to Nov. 17, though on another portion of the cir- 
cumference, would have been almost complete. As the planet 
increased its distance from the earth, these details, which at the 
best were of great delicacy, and interrupted by very slight 
atmospheric disturbances, became less and less distinct ; even 
favourable air did not again unveil such striking scenes ; but 
when anything could be made out, the elliptical areas were sure 
to return. In my earliest observations I had evidently seen, 
without clearly apprehending, this peculiar configuration ; and 
it continued more or less uniformly to the close. At times 
some of the south edges of these areas distinguished themselves 
by their strong yellow or even whitish light ; on one occasion 
(Nov. 15), I have recorded that these spaces, two of which 
were visible, of an “ elliptical, or rather rounded quadrangular ” 
form, encroached upon the south torrid belt to one-half of its 
thickness, and once only (Oct. 27), a grey interval seemed 
separated from the south torrid belt by a narrow brighter stripe, 
* The shadings in these sketches are too dark ; but it would be difficult 
otherwise to obtain sufficient effect. 
