268 Jottings in Solar Physics. I'M ay, 
February 21st, and when they disappeared on April 28th the 
weather — after having been cold and chilly for a week — 
turned suddenly warmer. The Java eruption, singular to 
say, coincided with a spell of warm weather in this country, 
which commenced on August 17th and broke up on the 29th. 
It is singular that working meteorologists should hold a dif- 
ference of opinion as to whether the sun is hotter or colder 
when it is spotted over, as this causation is the source of all 
solar physical theories : from the naturalist’s point of view 
it should be, I think, with little doubt, colder. 
Mr. Norman Lockyer, a little time ago, informed us that 
an examination of the percentage of total wreckage, posted 
on the loss-book at Lloyd’s, showed that between 1856 and 
1876 most vessels had been lost at the times of maximum 
sun-spots, and it appears that a return recently issued and 
made public in the daily papers greatly confirms this state- 
ment. It shows that there has been a decrease in the 
number of sailing vessels wrecked, commencing with the 
year 1874 and ending at the year 1878, when sun-spots were 
fewest, and a corresponding increase commencing with the 
year 1878 and ending at the year 1882, when sun-spots were 
at a maximum. For example, in 1874, 214 sailing vessels 
were lost at sea; in 1875, 167; in 1876, 154; in 1877, 156; 
in 1878, only 129 ; in 1879, 140 ; in 1880, 132 ; in 1881, 205 ; 
in, 1882, 194 ; in 1883, 163. As these statistics involve a 
large factor in regard to the sacrifice of human lives, it 
might suggest that a law should be enadfed regarding the 
over-freighting of vessels when perils are so imminent. It 
would seem here the rule that at the sun-spot maxima 
about twice the number of sailing vessels have been lost. 
The local wreck chart, of our coast of course, gives less pre- 
cise statements ; it shows that between 1854 an d 1882, as 
far as I gather, there have been fewest wrecks between the 
two opposite sun-spot phases, and most at the two epochs, 
— a matter which has doubtless affedted insurance, although 
the chapter of accident has been fairly represented. On the ; 
other hand, it has been remarked that at the sun-spot mini- 1 
mum, or during the years 1877 and 1878, there was an 
increased loss of life in mines in the United Kingdom,, 
without doubt owing to an increased emission and accumu-. 
lation of fire-damp under certain atmospheric conditions. 
In the commercial centres of the United Kingdom the 
economical aspedt of Solar Physics is felt to be of moment,: 
and there exists an unquiet feeling in respedt to how much 
is to be believed and how much discredited. Quite recently, 
a north-country daily paper undertook to review the : 
