264 
THE PAST AND COMING- TRANSITS AND ARCTIC 
EXPLORATION. 
By RICHARD A. PROCTOR. 
T HE materials obtained during the recent transit of Venus 
have been gathered together, and though many months 
must elapse before the definite solar distance to which they 
point can be ascertained, we already possess the means of form- 
ing an opinion as to their general value. The result is not 
altogether that which had been anticipated by any among those 
who were interested in the preliminary arrangements and pre- 
parations; though, on the whole, it would appear that the 
astronomers of America formed the justest anticipations respect- 
ing the probable course of events. I am not, of course, referring 
here to accidental circumstances, such as the weather at this or 
that station. It must be clear that the best laid plans were 
liable to be defeated by conditions of weather ; for though some 
of the stations were placed in region^ where the weather pro- 
babilities were exceedingly favourable, and others unfortunately 
(but necessarily) in regions exposed to almost continual storms, 
yet nothing could be confidently predicated, even respecting 
these stations, and far the greater number had simply the ordinary 
chances of fair or foul weather. It happens, indeed, that of the 
two most favoured regions, Egypt and New Zealand, the former 
barely sustained its reputation (the sun at some stations only 
just clearing a cloud bank in time to be seen), while the latter 
had worse fortune than any other region of like extent. On the 
other hand, several stations where bad weather was regarded as 
too probable — as St. Paul’s Island, Auckland Island, and Ker- 
guelen Land — had very favourable weather. I may notice, in 
passing, that even as respects the manner in which weather prob- 
abilities were dealt with, there was a wide difference between 
the American and our English manner of acting. For we find 
