THE PLANET JUPITER IN 18S9-70. 
133 
ceed to the neighbouring districts, the north and south temperate 
zones. 
The North Temperate Zone was the whitest and most luminous 
part of the disc, and, I believe, was quite constant in this 
respect. I never noted a speck upon it, though, Nov. 17, its 
north edge showed, I thought, a yellowish stain. Dec. 11, I 
estimated its breadth = j of equatorial region. 
The South Temperate Zone was more extensive than the corre- 
sponding north region : occasionally, at least half as broad again ; 
but varying in this respect from the uncertain dimensions of 
the belt forming its south boundary. It contained no special 
markings, but was very liable to longitudinal subdivision, espe- 
cially by a grey streak, which, for the occasion, I have termed 
The South Subtorrid Belt . — This differed from those already 
specified, in not being continuous round the globe ; whence 1 
have preferred considering the zone in which it occurred, as a 
whole. It was a grey streak (purplish, I thought, as well as 
either torrid belt, Nov. 17), taking its origin abruptly close to 
the south torrid belt, but divided from it by a narrow bright 
interval : thence it diverged eastward at a slight angle of pos- 
sibly 2° or 3° for a considerable distance, the same direction 
being traced, Jan. 12d. 9h. across the whole disc : subsequently 
it became parallel to its neighbour, with an intervening zone 
equalling or exceeding the breadth of the latter : in its further 
extension it became very faint and narrow, and it wholly expired 
(as far as my optical means would ascertain) before the west end 
returned in sight; so that occasionally the south temperate zone 
appeared unbroken. Jan. 5d. 8h. 55m. I suspected a renewed 
divergency before its extinction. Its aspect as to the width and 
darkness was very variable ; and this obviously from actual 
local change, as well as from great inequality in different parts 
of its length: for example, Dec. lid. lOh. 45m., while its com- 
mencement had crossed of the disc, it was equal to either of 
the torrid belts ; and Dec. 28d. 9h. 30m. in a similar position 
it was nearly a match for its neighbour (those central belts were 
however then in a feeble condition) : on the contrary, Dec. 25, 
when it traversed § of the disc, it was faint, especially towards 
the east limb ; and, in a position of parallelism to the nearest 
belt, it was sometimes broad and dark, at others narrow and 
feeble, and at very different distances from its companion. Its 
length must have been variable ; Dec. 28d. 5h. 5m. it was ex- 
tremely feeble and thin, and distant; 8h. 40m. its recommence- 
ment seemed to have already crossed § of the disc, with a very 
•evident divergence, so that there could have been then but little 
interval between the ends of the spiral : while, on many other 
occasions, the disc appeared clear from it. Dec. 15, 1 estimated 
the breadth of the two segments of the zone which this belt 
