33 
covered with a dark greenish colour/’ whilst in the eclipse 
of 1842 “it was universally remarked that the colours of 
terrestrial objects were changed.” Mr. Hind says that after 
the totality had commenced “ the southern heavens were 
of a uniform and purple grey.” “ In the zenith and north 
of it the heavens were of a purplish violet, while in the 
north-west and north-east broad bands of yellowish crimson 
light, intensely bright, produced an effect which no person 
who witnessed it can forget.” “The crimson,” he says, 
appeared to run over large portions of the sky, irrespeotive 
of the cloudsf a circumstance certainly suggestive of a 
cause differing from that which gives rise to the hues of 
sunset.” “ All nature,” continues Mr. Hind, “ seemed to be 
overshadowed by an unnatural gloom; the distant hills 
were hardly visible ; the sea turned lurid red, and persons 
standing near the observer had a pale and livid look.” Not 
only did the colours “ run over large portions of the sky, 
irrespective of the clouds,” but they were visible at stations 
so remote from one another as to give additional assurance 
of an extra-terrestrial origin. The distribution of the 
colours observed by Mr. Hind at Rsevelsberg is consistent 
with the theory of their production by the chromatic dis- 
persion of a lunar atmosphere, whilst the order of their suc- 
cession, as stated by Sig. Piola who observed in Italy, and 
the sudden change of colours noticed by Mr. Lowe, and 
which took place as the shadow swept along, afford confirm- 
ation of the theory. 
It has been suggested by Mr. Lockyer that the colours 
projected upon the landscape during the continuance of a 
total solar eclipse may be those of various layers of the 
chromosphere alternately disclosed by that great screen the 
moon in its passage over the solar disc. Manifestly, how- 
ever, the purity of some of the colours would be interfered 
Avith, assuming them to be produced in this manner, and the 
yelloAv which is so frequently seen would seem to be un- 
