1884.] 
Jottings in Solar Physics. 
267 
news came of earthquake shocks having been felt in New 
England at several points ; and on March 5th, just previously 
to the phase of sun-spottiness, there was a severe shock of 
earthquake felt throughout Cyprus. Between April 29th 
and May 5th I observed no sun-spots and remarked no 
earthquakes, nor do I think that they were prevalent the 
first week in August, when I observed but one small sun- 
spot. During the great seismic calamities of the year I 
conclude the superficies of the sun was much spotted over, 
but I did not deteCt that the appearance of spots of large 
size or great groups was in any way direCtly connected with 
the record of earthquake disaster. However, if these few 
imperfeCt observations be of any real weight they would 
point to the fa< 5 t that we have, working at observatories, 
magnetographs, which either record the minor sun-phases or 
the energy of the spots on the sun's disk ; and the inference 
is that these instruments might be found to be writing down 
warnings of disaster could we only read the sudden dashes 
and long lines. 
Mechanical laws regarded as constant, and a statical con- 
dition assumed, the rudiments of Physics render it evident 
that changes in the heat of the sun must cause the surface 
of the globe on which we live to expand and contract, inas- 
much as a milk jug chinks to the frost or the embers crink 
as the fire subsides. 
Again, terrestrial laws considered uniform in operation, a 
sudden access or diminution in the heat received from the 
sun should likewise modify the fluctuations of the atmosphere 
and currents of the ocean, and these modifications, according 
to the statical law of fluids and the theory of displacement, 
should be universal, inasmuch as when a fire is kindled 
draughts arise from all quarters of an apartment, or as water 
when warmed commences to eddy. Sometimes it indeed 
would appear that, whether from the direCt rays of the sun 
or from an influx of a current of heated air, the sun-spots 
associate themselves with a spell of abnormal heat, as was 
the case last year from June 28th until July 4th ; or again, 
in regard to the heat-wave that passed over England be- 
tween the 6th and 8th of October. 
During this brief and genial Martinmas summer the 
male starlings at this place were deceived into renewing 
their rattling Hymenean calls, as if Spring had already 
breathed over the land, and every chimney-top and high 
branch had its noisy chorister. I likewise noticed the fol- 
lowing meteorological coincidences : — The barometer rose 
when the spots disappeared from the disk of the sun on 
