SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY 
ASTRONOMY. 
The Eclipse of December 22. — Mr. Hind has published a Nautical Almanac 
Circular with reference to the path of the total phase in regions which are 
conveniently accessible. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the shadow of 
the moon passes across the south of Portugal and the Straits of Gibraltar to 
Algeria, reaching its most southerly limits in about longitude 4° east of 
Greenwich, where the southern boundary of the shadow-path is in about 
34§° north latitude. Thence the shadow passes to Sicily, the northern 
limit passing slightly to the north of Mount Etna, and so, touching the ex- 
treme southern point of the Italian peninsula, by the south of Turkey, past 
Thessaly. The most important parts of the shadow’s path are those across 
the south of Portugal and Spain, in Algeria, and across Sicily. The chief 
towns which lie close to the central line are Odemira, Silves, Almodovar, 
Tavira, Ayamonte, Huelva, Palos, Xeres, Cadiz, San Fernando, Arcos, Este- 
pona, and Marbella, in the Spanish peninsula ; Oran and Ratna in Africa, 
and Syracuse in Sicily. 
Incredible as it may seem, the Admiralty have refused the use of a ship 
to convey the astronomers and others w T ho had volunteered to observe the 
eclipse. It will be felt by all that the chief misfortune here is not the loss 
of the opportunity of making observations likely to throw light on the sub- 
ject of solar physics. Important as the residts of well-concerted obser- 
vations would in all probability have been, we could better have sacrificed 
the results of the observation of fifty total eclipses than have suffered the 
shame of such paltry parsimony to rest for ever as a blot on the scientific 
repute of England. To all ages the story will be handed down that in 1870 
England seemed to have forgotten the traditions of past munificence in the 
cause of science, and that when sixty generous men volunteered their 
services, at no unimportant sacrifice, England could not find a corner for 
them in all her navy. Where George III. could be generous, insomuch that 
under his auspices ships were sent to the Antipodes to observe a transit of 
Venus, a Liberal government in this nineteenth century can risk the reputa- 
tion of the country through a miserly economy. 
But then there is war, and who can say what risks this country might not 
run if any one of her ships should be employed to leave observing parties at 
Gibraltar or Syracuse, and to transport them back again to England P The 
prospect is terrible indeed. Yet unless we err, this country has done more 
YOL. IX. — NO. XXXYII. E E 
